E-Paper
‘Doctors treating Covid-19 patients warriors, need to be protected’: Supreme Court
The court was hearing petitions seeking direction to Centre to ensure protection of doctors. The Solicitor General denied claims that salaries of the doctors involved in treating Covid-19 patients are being cut.
The Supreme Court on Wednesday said that doctors, nurses and healthcare workers, who are at the forefront of the fight against coronavirus disease Covid-19, are the real warriors and have to be protected.
The apex court’s observation came on a bunch of petitions seeking direction to the central government to ensure that all healthcare workers across India have access to masks, hazmat suits and other personal protective equipment (PPE).
Justices Ashok Bhushan and S Ravindra Bhat held the hearing through video conferencing and asked for taking suggestions from the public, as the issue is not just about the lockdown but of regulatory mechanism for people working in the medical profession.
Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, who represented the Centre, said that the government is “doing the best on this front” and arranging for the PPE kits and other things.
Mehta also said that the government agrees that these healthcare workers and their families should be protected. He added that these workers are being housed in hotels, and the government will continue taking steps to ensure their physical protection.
The court suggested setting up nodal centres at district level for receiving suggestions and complaints. Mehta said a central control room drawn from Home and Health departments has been set up at state level. These control rooms are getting calls with suggestions and complaints, he added.
The Solicitor General also denied claims that salaries of the doctors involved in treating Covid-19 patients are being cut. If this is being done anywhere, government will penalise such actions, Mehta said. He said that the government will write to the states and ask them to ensure that salaries of healthcare personnel are not cut.
