Supreme Court says nation must stand by doctors who served during COVID-19

New Delhi, Oct 28: The Supreme Court on Tuesday observed that society must stand firmly with doctors and health workers who risked, and in many cases, lost, their lives during the COVID-19 pandemic, noting that their contributions cannot be forgotten.

According to Bar & Bench, a Bench comprising Justices P. S. Narasimha and R. Mahadevan made the observation while hearing petitions related to compensation claims under the Union government’s Insurance Scheme for Health Workers Fighting COVID-19. “Society wouldn’t forget us if we don’t take care of our doctors. The first profession that protects human life is the doctor... this country wouldn’t forget us if we don’t stand by doctors and take care of them,” Justice Narasimha remarked during the hearing reports Bar & Bench.

The case stems from a petition initially filed before the Bombay High Court by a woman who was denied compensation following her husband’s death. Her husband had reportedly been directed by the State to keep his dispensary open during the pandemic. The Supreme Court later expanded the scope of the case to include similar petitions from across the country, citing the issue’s national significance. The Bench clarified that it would not adjudicate individual claims but instead issue general guidelines to streamline the process of deciding compensation requests. “Give the data to us and some information about other parallel schemes that are available apart from the present Pradhan Mantri scheme. We will lay down some principles,” the Court told Additional Solicitor General Aishwarya Bhati, who appeared for the Union government. The matter will next be taken up after the government submits the required data and scheme details.