New Delhi: “In war, you do not make soldiers unhappy. Travel extra mile and channel some extra money to address their grievances.” This is what the Supreme Court said Friday. The Supreme Court took serious note of non-payment of salaries and lack of accommodation to doctors fighting against COVID-19. The courts should not be involved in the issue of non-payment of salary to healthcare workers. The government should settle the issue, it said.
The top court was hearing a plea by a doctor. He alleged that front line healthcare workers engaged in fight against COVID-19 are not being paid salaries. At times salaries are also being cut or delayed. The doctor also questioned the Centre’s new SOP making their 14-day quarantine non-mandatory.
“In war, you do not make soldiers unhappy. Travel extra mile and channel some extra money to address grievances. Country cannot afford to have dissatisfied soldiers in this war which is being fought against Corona. The matter has to be looked into,” said a bench of Justices Ashok Bhushan, SK Kaul and MR Shah.
Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for the Centre, said that if there are better suggestions, they can be accommodated.
The bench said that there are reports coming that many areas doctors are not being paid. “We saw report that doctors went on strike. In Delhi, some doctors have not been paid for past three months. These are concerns should have been taken care off. It should not require court intervention,” the bench observed. “You (Centre) needs to do more. Must make sure their (doctors) concerns are addressed,” it added. The matter will again come up for hearing next week.
The Centre had told the top court June 4 that a ‘large number’ of make-shift hospitals will have to be built in the near future. This has to be done to accommodate the constant rise in the number of newly- infected people.
The Centre also contended another issue. It said hospitals are responsible for implementing the Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) activities. However, the final responsibility lies with the healthcare workers to protect themselves from COVID-19. It further said mandatory quarantine for 14 days after the duty of healthcare workers of 7/14 days is ‘not justified and warranted’.