Why Do We Need Insurance?
The Insurance of Life
I am sitting near my wide glass French window of a 16 storey building and watching some labourers working on an under construction building. The construction work is going on from months and I could hear a constant construction sound even on weekends. It is not just the gruesome sound or dust that has disturbed my lifestyle [including taking away my freedom to open my windows], but the towering structure that has marred my beautiful landscape view.
As the floors are rising [13 approximate], you can see the labours working with their bare minimum, almost at your line of sight. It was intriguing to see them work. They are working with bare minimum tools, with negligible safety measure and absolutely unhygienic working conditions [without any protective clothing or footwear].
Though the building structure has blocked my skyline view, a new vision has crept in. I saw a person standing at the edge of the roof and nailing a board. He was working on the ledge with no harness, no ropes, and the badminton court sized safety net at the levels below was such a mock on the law of gravity.
God Forbid if miss a step or fall off the roof, wonder what will happen to him, and his family. He must be the only earning member of the family who is living on daily wages for sustenance. The chap looks young and may have this raring to go. I wonder what happens when he grows old and what kind of livelihood he can engage in to support his finances. The working conditions [of course it is a construction work] is so dusted and unconducive to health, wonder if fallen sick, how would he bear his medical expenses given the high surge in the cost of medical treatments in India.
A lot many questions looped in my mind and started growing restless. Our Life expectancy ratio may have increased but the mortal nature of our lives have increased too and in manifolds.
We live such a dynamic life. Every day we hear horrible stories of accidents, murders, landslides, unemployment and more. Newspapers have become a printed mortuary of horrifying tales. The rise in epidemics and newfound diseases does not stop to fatal us even further.
Why go far when I have an example in me? In pre-teens, I met with an accident and was hospitalised for almost 7-8 months in a place away from our home. My father, a government employee has to temporarily leave his job to be with me at the hospital. We belonged to a middle-class family, with my father being the only earning member and we had no insurance. I also remember how he had to leave me with my mother at the hospital to get back to his job as he could not afford any further leaves.
The medical expenses were sky high and we were cash-strapped for years.
I wish we had something to protect us or cover our indemnity. Something like an insurance.
If it had happened to me or that bank manager who too lost his limb in a death defying accident and committed suicide to escape his financial crunch, it could happen to anyone in the world.
Think about it. Think and tell me if you still do not need any insurance?
It is sunset now. The labourers have left the site for the home, and their family. Like a lot of us, who might be working in bigger, better offices but not immune to life and its adversities.
I do not know about you, but am getting curious about the Insurance sector. This 23rd of December, I’m going to attend an exclusive #IFSOFLife meet up by BajajAllianz to learn about an upcoming Online Term Insurance Plan. Term Insurance Plan, aims to shield your family from uncertainties in life and has the benefit of all traditional insurance plan.
Want to know, why do you need #insurance? #blog and details coming soon. #IfsOfLife with @BajajAllianzLIC— Ekta Khetan (@NumeroUnity) December 21, 2016
To know more, Follow me on Twitter, Facebook, Snapchat [ektakhetan] and this blog.
You can also follow @BajajAllianzLIC for further updates.
Let’s explore it together!
________
Interesting post Ekta. I know a little bit about your situation. I sympathize with you. I can understand what you and your parents have to go through.
ReplyDeleteBut the situation you have narrated in this post is a BS. Please give me the name of an insurance company that will “insure” an uneducated man standing at the edge of the roof and nailing a board.
Even if that company insures him, please tell me what are his ultimate benefits? In an accident, will they cover his complete hospital bills? In an unfortunate situation, what are his death benefits to his family?
Please name that company and I will take it from there. Thanks.
SG,
DeleteAt the rick of you stop reading my blogs- This post was not about insurance for labourers alone and I am not seeking or need your/anyone's sympathies but thanks for your concerns.
This post was about "why anyone needs an insurance" and the ironies of life.
*risk
Delete