Chapter 41 shall be amended by adding the following section:

Section 100C. Upon written application by any of its police officers or firefighters retired either before or after the acceptance of this section; or in the event of the death of any such police officer or firefighter, upon written application by his widow or, if he leaves no widow, by his next of kin, shall indemnify such police officer or firefighter or, in the event of his death, his widow, or if he leaves no widow, his next of kin, for all reasonable hospital, medical and surgical, chiropractic, nursing, pharmaceutical, prosthetic and other related expenses and reasonable charges incurred by such police officer or firefighter after his retirement relating to ongoing treatment or complications relating to COVID-19 or its variant contracted as a work-related illness; provided, however, that no person shall be indemnified under this section unless a majority of the members of a panel consisting of (a) the chairman of the retirement board of the city or town, (b) the city solicitor, town counsel or other officer having similar duties or a person designated in writing by such solicitor, counsel, or officer to act for him, and (c) such physician selected by agreement of the city or town manager and the retiree’s physician, upon receipt from the applicant of due proof, certify:—(1) that the expenses for which indemnification is sought were the natural and proximate result of Covid-19 or its variant contracted as a work-related illness; (2) that such expenses were incurred after the acceptance of this section; (3) that the hospital, medical and surgical, chiropractic, nursing, pharmaceutical, and/or prosthetic to which such expenses relate were rendered within six months before the filing of the application; (4) that such expenses are reasonable under all the circumstances.