World | India
School alumni insure place in teachers' hearts
Former students of Bandra institution launch healthcare scheme for retired and working teachers.
- By Pamela Raghunath, Correspondent
- Published: 01:31 November 24, 2007
Mumbai: Alexander the Great is said to have summed up his debts in life thus: "I am indebted to my father for living, but to my teacher for living well."
A similar sense of indebtedness and gratitude was professed when former students of a school in suburban Bandra got together to launch a health care insurance for 100 retired and working teachers of their institution.
"Insurance companies are telling us that it is for the first time that such an insurance has been taken for teachers," Gerry Mascarenhas from the Class of 1977 of St Stanislaus School told Gulf News.
"It was actually the brainchild of California-based consultant Vikram Moorjani, (1985), who swung into action when he heard that one of our retired teachers, Joe Maumkel, 78, who served the school for 60 years, was languishing in a hospital with his family struggling to pay the bills."
The news of Maumkel's hospitalisation spread via the internet prompting alumni based in the US, Canada, Australia, Singapore, the UAE and India to raise about 170,000 rupees (Dh15,816) through their portal.
"Maumkel succumbed to his heart ailment early this year but in his passing he has inspired his students to think of their teachers," says Mascarenhas.
The team was recently joined by Mahavir Chopra (1996), co-founder at Bonsai Insurance Broking, who clinched the best insurance product for the teachers.
Illness cover
The Stanislaus HealthCare Initiative, a project of the St Stanislaus Ex-Students Association, then took shape to provide a healthcare policy of 200,000 rupees for 100 existing and retired teachers of the school. The policy would provide for cashless hospitalisation, including a pre-existing illness cover to all teachers who will be presented their health cards on November 28.
The health care team has also secured a comprehensive accident policy for non-teaching staff members. Alumni doctors also plan to hold health camps for teachers.
St Stanislaus is a 143-year-old school that has produced many illustrious alumni like Cardinal Ivan Dias, currently serving at the Vatican, Dinesh D'Souza, former policy advisor to US President Ronald Reagan, Joaquim Carvalho, current head coach of the national hockey team, Shaan, singer, Major General (retired) Eustace D'Souza and actor Salman Khan.
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