ST STANISLAUS' School Ex-students insure their teachers’ health | Public Health : News Articles

ST STANISLAUS SCHOOL ALUMNI’S BRAINWAVE

Ex-students insure their teachers’ health

Ashley D’Mello | TNN

Mumbai: Old boys never forget. Not the old boys at St Stanislaus at least.
   When 70-year-old Prabhu Narain Rai, who taught Hindi to school boys for 35 years, gets his health insurance cover for Rs 2 lakh on Wednesday, he will be among 90 teachers and other employees to benefit from a scheme initiated by the alumni of the Jesuit-run St Stanislaus High School in Bandra.
   “I am glad the students have not forgotten their old teachers,’’ said a deeply touched Rai.
   What started as a fund-raising campaign for an ailing veteran has blossomed into a health insurance plan covering all the teaching staff and employees of the school as well the retired teachers. The inclusion of retired teachers is specially significant given the humble salaries they earned through their careers even as they shaped and inspired active young minds.
   When Joe Maumkel, who was doctor to thousands of schoolchildren at the 140-year-old institution, languished in hospital early this year, students rallied around to help defray the mounting medical bills. Exstudents based in Canada, the US, the UAE and all over India sent in their mite, and a total of Rs 1.70 lakh was collected.
   Joe died in March this year, but the campaign to save him has given birth to a special project—a longterm plan to help teachers and staff of the school on a permanent basis. Four active ex-students—Francis D’Silva, Vikram Murjani, Gerry Mascarenhas and Mahavir Chopra—took the lead into putting the scheme together. Mascarenhas runs a laundry business in Bandra, Chopra lives in Bandra too, Murjani is based in Los Angeles and D’Silva is all the way north in Oslo. They keep in touch through the alumni website.
   Fr Laurie Ferrao, until recently the principal, encouraged the group. After much debate and discussion, the health insurance scheme was born. Mahavir Chopra, who owns a corporate insurance business, gave his old school a good deal. “We’ve chosen Bajaj Allianz,’’ says Mascarenhas. “The cost of health coverage is approximately Rs 2 lakh per person. There is also an accident insurance scheme for 17 non-teaching staff for Rs 2 lakh each.’’
   Major (retd) Leon Fonseca, secretary of the Ex-Students Association, said the feedback from other schools had been expectedly positive. “We are already receiving inquiries from other schools in Mumbai who want to implement it as well. Some of the old teachers we have insured are 80 years old and need all the health care they can get. The campaign for the health scheme has made our ex-students all across the globe sit up and take note. We expect some more innovative ideas to turn into concrete form for the staff as well as the school.’’
   ashley .dmello @timesgroup .com

Url: http://epaper.timesofindia.com/Daily/skins/TOI/navigator.asp?Daily=TOIM&login=default