BackQuarantine period of doctors to be treated as 'on duty': Health Ministry
The Supreme Court on 31 July had asked the Centre to ensure that the salaries of doctors and health workers involved in covid-19 duty are paid on time and their mandatory quarantine is not treated as leave
PremiumNEW DELHI : The Ministry of Health and Family welfare(MoHFW) filed an affidavit in Supreme court declaring that the quarantined period of doctors and health workers needs to be treated as ‘on duty’ amidst covid-19 pandemic.
The Supreme Court on 31 July had asked the Centre to ensure that the salaries of doctors and health workers involved in covid-19 duty are paid on time and their mandatory quarantine is not treated as leave.
The MoHFW submitted in its affidavit that post consultation with Department of Personnel and Training and government of India it has taken the decision to treat quarantine period as ‘on duty’ for doctors.
The government in its affidavit stated that persons with high risk exposure to the virus while performing COVID duty are required to undergo quarantine initially for one week only. Thereafter, taking profile of such healthcare workers, a decision shall be taken by institution to extend quarantine for a further period of one week. This quarantine has been prescribed in larger public interest to stop spread of the disease, stated the affidavit.
The matter was listed for hearing today but was adjourned for next week.
An impleadment application was filed by United Resident and Doctor’s Association seeking urgent intervention of the court in timely payment of salaries to doctors and healthcare workers.
On 17 June, the bench, had sought a compliance report from the health ministry and chief secretaries of all states within four weeks regarding the payment of salaries and provision of adequate accommodation and quarantine facilities for healthcare staff on the coronavirus battlefront.
On the top court's direction to look into the petitioner’s complaint on their quarantine period being treated as leave, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, representing the Centre, assured the court that it can’t be treated as leave and the government shall look into it.
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