Tamil Nadu Congress Committee president K.S. Alagiri on Saturday said that the Central and State governments should now take the role of medical staff in combating COVID-19 seriously, and address their issues on humanitarian grounds, following the Supreme Court’s direction. In a statement, he noted that recently, the apex court has pulled up the government on non-payment of salaries to medical staff.

“The doctors and other medical staff are in the frontline, and we cannot think of tackling the COVID-19 pandemic without them. No wonder the governments have lost trust, when they have not paid salaries to medical staff who are risking their lives,” Mr. Alagiri said.

He alleged that in Tamil Nadu also, medical staff have not got their salaries for many months.

Mr. Alagiri also mentioned the controversy over the hiring of temporary medical staff through a private firm and the contract being cancelled later. He said the alleged corruption is concerning, especially when the number of cases and deaths due to COVID-19 is increasing.

Mr. Alagiri hoped that the Central and State governments would learn their lessons from the anguish expressed by the apex court on the issue.