'Doctors working continuously for seven-eight months, give them breaks': SC to Centre

The Supreme Court on Tuesday stated that doctors busy in COVID-19 duty are working continuously and directed the Centre to grant them a break after continuous service. While hearing suo moto case in the context of improper treatment of COVID-19 patients in hospitals and mishandling of dead bodies, a bench headed by Justice Bhushan observed that continuous work might be hampering the mental health of doctors involved in COVID-19 duty.

"It has come to our attention that doctors are working without any break. They are doctors, not poppers... You must give them a break after continuous service," the bench said.

"For the last seven-eight months, doctors have not been given any break and are continuously working. You (Solicitor General) take instruction and think over giving them some break. It must be very painful and might be affecting their mental health," the bench added.

Responding to the bench, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta told the court that the Central government will consider giving some break to doctors.

The bench also looked into the affidavit filed by the State governments and said that the affidavit do not say which hospitals have fire compliances and no-objection certificates.

"None of the states have stated the number of covid hospitals and whether there is any protocol being followed. Some of them talking about 2016," said Justice MR Shah after which the court deferred the matter for further hearing for Friday.

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Cognizance over fire incidents in COVID-19 hospitals

Earlier, the top court had sought response from the Centre as well as states on issues ranging from adhering to COVID-19 guidelines on wearing of face masks and social distancing norms. It had also sought their responses on fire safety measures in hospitals after incidents of fire in COVID-19 dedicated hospitals.

The Apex court had also taken cognizance of the fire incident in a designated COVID-19 hospital in Gujarat's Rajkot in which several patients had died, and the court had sought responses from Centre and states over the fire safety measures in hospitals after incidents of fire in COVID-19 dedicated hospitals. 

SG Tushar Mehta also spoke about the Gujarat High Court imposing community service mandate for violation of social distancing and mask protocols, followed by Allahabad HC. He said the government has filed a plea against the order. When asked by Justice Bhushan over the issue of following COVID-19 guidelines, SG Tushar Mehta said that only fines can be a deterrent and Rs 500 fine is not a deterrent enough.

The bench expressed shock when Mehta said that Gujarat has collected Rs 80 to 90 crores as fine. It remarked that despite imposing fine and collecting a huge sum, the government has been unable to enforce the COVID-19 guidelines.

(With ANI inputs)

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