Supreme Court bats for free-of-cost COVID testing, asks Govt to reimburse testing labs

The Central Government through Solicitor General of India, today told the Supreme Court that the Government will do all that it can to protect doctors and hospital staff amidst the rising number of COVID positive cases in the country. The Supreme Court stated that the healthcare staff were "the frontline warriors" in the fight against coronavirus and "must be protected at all costs".

The Supreme Court was hearing a cluster of petitions seeking amongst other things, safety equipment, masks and personal protective equipment (PPE) kits for doctors and other hospital staff in various States.

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Solicitor General Tushar Mehta told the bench of Justice Ashok Bhushan and Justice S. Ravindra Bhat that the Centre was doing all that it can for the procurement of safety gear and protective equipment for the healthcare workers and agreed with the bench that they needed to be protected. "Not just physical protection, but also protection for their families keeping in mind their safety," Mehta said.

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Former Attorney General Mukul Rohatgi who was representing one of the petitioners told the bench that there was apprehension amongst doctors to come forward in fulfilling their duties due to the current state of affairs. The hospitals were also dealing with problems of corona patients trying to escape from the hospital premises amongst rising panic. "In addition to this," Mukul Rohatgi said, "some of the doctors are also facing salary cuts". The Solicitor told the Supreme Court that salary cuts for doctors or hospital staff will not be "tolerated under any circumstances" and that "the government will walk the extra mile to protect the doctors".

He informed the Court that the government has asked all the States to ensure that no salaries of the doctors or the hospital staff are being affected at this time. "Salaries ought not to be deducted even for buying masks and protective gear," Tushar Mehta said.

The Supreme Court suggested to the government if the tests for COVID-19 can be made free for the general public. "Hospitals and private testing labs should not be charging people for the COVID tests," Justice Ashok Bhushan said, "a procedure can be laid down for reimbursement from the government to the hospitals and private labs who are conducting COVID tests free of cost".

The Solicitor General told the Supreme Court that he will take instructions from the government on whether or not such a move was possible.

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