"We cannot have dissatisfied soldiers (doctors) against COVID-19 war", SC says government needs to do more for healthcare workers, doctors

While hearing a petition seeking a separate accommodation for doctors and healthcare workers near hospitals, the Supreme Court today observed that welfare of Doctors and frontline healthcare workers is a matter of concern and the government needs to do more on the issue and cannot "work half-heartedly". (Dr Aarushi Jain vs Union of India).The Bench of Justices Ashok Bhushan, Sanjay Kishan Kaul, and MR Shah today said that the issue of doctors and other frontline healthcare workers working on this fight against COVID-19 is a matter of concern. The Court was hearing the plea seeking separate residential facilities for doctors nurses which was filed by Advocate Mithu Jain and Arjun Syal..The government needs to do more for the doctors and other healthcare workers, as regards their protection from exposure and quarantine facilities, the Court said and added that the same should not need the Court's intervention. This observation from the Court came after Senior Counsel KV Vishwanathan told the Court that in many places doctors and healthcare workers were subjected to wage deduction. .Vishwanathan, while addressing the Court on the question of need for separate accommodation and quarantine facilities for frontline doctors, said that the affidavit filed by the Centre was not satisfactory and more suggestions need to be given to prevent exposure of the frontline workers to their families. The categorization of high risk and low risk frontline workers is not properly made out, he said. .The Senior Counsel said that the Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) on this states that the nodal officers will check for the level of exposure faced by the frontline workers and said that the exposure level cannot be checked in this manner..Doctors and healthcare workers with high risk exposure will be quarantined. If they test positive and remain asymptomatic then they will follow mild protocol. This distinction is problematic.KV Vishwanathan said referring to the SOP .Solicitor General Tushar Mehta pointed out that this is not an adversarial litigation and said that guidelines have been formulated by the WHO and ICMR along with other experts. He said that in case of more suggestions on the aspect of separate accommodation are to be made, the same may please be placed before the expert body..The Bench observed that on the question of accommodation for frontline workers and doctors, Solicitor General needs to check what more can be done and also observed that the SG must look into how the issue can be dealt with..We cannot have dissatisfied soldiers (doctors) in the COVID-19 war. You need to travel the extra mile to see what else can be done for themJustice Bhushan observed.Medical experts need to be engaged in this process, Vishwanathan said. He added that the doctors are being subjected to wage deduction also in some places and the Court also took note of the recent strikes that the doctors went on against non-payment of salaries, among others..The Court said that any suggestions by the petitioners on the subject of protection of doctors and for their separate accommodation for quarantine must be given to the Secretary of Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW) today itself and fixed the matter for hearing on June 17..Earlier in its reply, Centre had said that it is ultimately a doctor's own responsibility to protect himself from COVID-19..While the Hospital Infection Control Committee in the health facility is responsible for implementing the Infection Prevention and Control activities, but the final responsibility lies with healthcare workers. It is their responsibility to train themselves and take all measures in preventing the infection."MoHFW reply.Health Ministry tells the Supreme Court that final responsibility is on Healthcare Workers to train themselves and be safe from COVID-19.Now the Court has said that the suggestions by the petitioners must be submitted to the Ministry today and the matter will be heard next on June 17..[READ ORDER]