Supreme Court provides justice to the doctors; directs centre to pay salaries

By Purvi Jain

The Supreme Court has asked to the centre to provide necessary provisions to issue directions to states by tomorrow for payment of salary to the doctors and health care workers engaged with covid-19 pandemic by tomorrow.

The supreme court of justices Ashok Bhushan, SK Kaul and M R shah compliance report within 4 weeks for payment to doctors and workers.

The chief secretaries ensured timely payments to the doctors and the court warned that violations will be punishable. The bench was hearing a petition filed by a private doctor that quarantine is not necessary for doctors.

Senior advocate KV Vishwanathan who presented the petition regarding accommodation to doctors said the affidavit submitted by solicitor general Tushar Mehta is vague.

Mr. Vishwanathan also mentioned that, “Salaries are not being paid regularly to healthcare workers. Regarding quarantine there are no details of accommodation. Also doctors who are treating COVID-19 are not quarantined unless they are under high risk category,” On the behalf of government, solicitor general Tushar Mehta said that not paying the doctors will be assumed as criminal offence.

He also states that, “We are doing everything required in right earnest. Such petitions cannot be and will not be seen as adversarial. We are taking particular care of doctors and nurses. We are giving quarantine facilities at the nearest place but for people in labs do not need as they don’t come into direct contact with patients,”

In the last hearing it was said to address the medical professionals saying that “country can’t have dissatisfied soldiers in this war being made with covid-19.”

The court quoted from Hyderabad and Delhi on doctor not being paid and said “such incidents should not have happened”

Court said to the government “do not take a cosmetic artificial approach.”