SC says doctors, nurses are corona warriors who need to be protected

The Supreme Court said on Wednesday (June 17) that doctors and nurses are corona warriors and need to be protected even as the Delhi government informed that it is committed to patient care, managing of bodies and raising the number of COVID-19 tests.

A bench of Justices Ashok Bhushan, SK Kaul and MR Shah was informed by the Delhi government counsel that after the recent visit of Union Home Minister Amit Shah to LNJP Hospital here, things are being improved.

On June 12, the top court, while taking note of the reports of horrific scenes at Delhi’s COVID-19 dedicated LNJP hospital where bodies are being stacked next to coronavirus patients, had said it indicated the sorry state of affairs in government hospitals.

It had directed Chief Secretaries of the NCT, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal and Gujarat to take “remedial action” ensuring proper management of patients at hospitals.

Similarly, taking note of the nonpayment of salaries, the central government told the apex court that it will issue guidelines to make it mandatory for states to pay salaries to healthcare workers, and non-compliance of the directive will be an offence under the Disaster Management Act and the Indian Penal Code.

The Centre undertook to issue an order to states and union territories within 24 hours to ensure timely salaries to doctors, healthcare workers.