ORMA, Kerala Pravasi Board Seek Extension of Norka Care Health Insurance Deadline

Dubai: The Organisation for Return Migrants Affairs (ORMA) and Kerala Pravasi Welfare Board Director N.K. Kunhahammed have urged the State government to extend the deadline for enrolment in the Norka Care Pravasi Health Insurance Scheme, citing technical issues and procedural delays that prevented several expatriates from completing registration on time.

In a letter addressed to Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, ORMA president Naufal Pattambi and general secretary Shiju Basheer pointed out that many non-resident Keralites were unable to register within the stipulated period owing to software-related disruptions during the initial phase and delays in the issuance of Norka ID cards. The organisation said that the registration portal had faced upload-related glitches for nearly five days after the scheme was launched.

Seeking to ensure wider participation, ORMA has requested that the existing deadline of October 31 be extended by at least one month. The letter noted that the scheme, intended to provide health protection for the expatriate community, should not be constrained by temporary technical hurdles.

Meanwhile, Kerala Pravasi Welfare Board Director N.K. Kunhahammed, in a separate communication to the Chief Minister, reiterated the demand for an extension. Describing the initiative as a major relief measure for overseas Malayalis, he observed that many eligible beneficiaries risk being excluded due to the limited timeframe and initial technical difficulties.

Both ORMA and the Welfare Board have expressed the view that a deadline extension would help ensure the intended reach of the Norka Care Pravasi Health Insurance Scheme among expatriates across the Gulf and beyond.