The Madras High Court issued a significant ruling, announcing that post-graduate students engaged in Covid-19 duty at government hospitals are entitled to receive incentive marks during the assistant surgeon selection process. The first bench, led by Chief Justice S V Gangapurwala and Justice D Bharathachakravarthy, made this determination while partially granting a petition from Dr D Hariharan and three other doctors.
In a judgment upholding the government’s August 17, 2023 order, which allocated incentive marks to health professionals involved in Covid-19-related duties within regular government roles, the bench dismissed a set of petitions challenging the order. Dr T Ajay and 26 other doctors had contested the order’s validity.
The court emphasized that applicants involved in Covid-19 duty, including the petitioners, should be recognized as “Medical Officers” for the purposes of receiving incentive marks as per the aforementioned order. It acknowledged that although these post-graduate students were undergoing their 36-month training period, their involvement in pandemic-related duties in government hospital wards was significant.
The bench clarified that despite their training commitment, the PG students were extensively engaged in Covid-19 duties, akin to regular medical officers recruited by the State Government. Notably, those recruited specifically for Covid-19 duties in these disaster management-designated wards were classified as “Medical Officers.”
The court’s ruling serves as recognition of the rigorous work undertaken by post-graduate students during the pandemic, aligning their duties with those of recruited medical officers and acknowledging their contribution in extraordinary circumstances.
Sources By Agencies