HC acknowledges frontline workers' services

MADURAI: Acknowledging the service rendered by the doctors and frontline workers during the pandemic, the Madurai Bench of Madras High Court observed that if not for the selfless service of doctors, a major population of this country would have been wiped out by the deadly virus.

Justice N Anand Venkatesh made the observation in a petition filed by one B Varalakshmi of Tiruchy, whose husband, a private medical practitioner, died on duty last year due to Covid infection.

However, Varalakshmi's application under 'Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Package Insurance Scheme for Health Workers Fighting Covid' was not processed by the authorities. According to Varalakshmi, the reason was that she had failed to furnish her husband's RT-PCR test report, even though she had submitted his CT-Chest Covid Screening test report, which had confirmed that he had Covid infection. 

Justice N Anand Venkatesh, who heard the plea, observed, "If not for the selfless services of the doctors, a major population of this country would have been wiped out due to the deadly virus. Therefore, the least that should be done for a doctor, who lost his life due to Covid, which spread to him while he was on duty, is to acknowledge his selfless service and provide necessary compensation to his family."

The judge accepted Varalakshmi's explanation that her husband suffered breathlessness and hence was directly subjected to CT-Covid Screening test by the private hospital concerned, without doing RT-PCR test. He directed the authorities to process Varalakshmi's application and take a decision within 10 weeks, without insisting for RT-PCR test result.