SC asks Centre on arrangements for residing doctors near hospitals

While hearing the plea of residential doctors facing trouble for travelling from home to hospitals, SC asked Solicitor General Tushar Mehta to get the detailed information regarding the arrangements for residing the doctors outside the respective hospitals.

New Delhi:The Supreme Court (SC) on Friday asked the Solicitor General (SG) Tushar Mehta to get detailed instructions by the next week on arrangements for residing the doctors outside the respective hospitals.

The top court was hearing a petition filed by resident doctors of government hospitals seeking direction regarding their accommodation facility as many doctors were facing problems while reaching their respective workplaces amid the lockdown.

Senior Advocate Mukul Rohtagi appearing for the petitioners argued that doctors who have to travel from residence to hospitals were facing problems in societies.

He said that they need separate facilities and the government should help in this regard.

SG Tushar Mehta informed the court that the Centre has issued directions to all the state governments to requisition hotels, besides, on April 7 the Medical Association of India held a detailed meeting with PM upon which press directives were issued.

"We are fully conscious about the situation and anything which we can manage to do will be done," said Mehta.

Rohatgi argued that SG's assurance is not enough as the problems facing by the doctors are much bigger than it seems.

"Directive is fine but we should know how many hotels or accommodations are issued for the doctors," said Rohtagi.

In his response Mehta said that the petitioners might unaware about Pan India issue, adding that protecting "corona warriors" is the priority of the government.

Justice LN Rao asked Mehta why requisition can not be done near the hospitals itself to which Mehta replied that it would be taken under consideration.

He also informed the apex court that a helpline number has also been issued for the sake of the doctors.

Meanwhile, the constitutional bench has asked Mehta to get proper instructions regarding the arrangements have done and adjourned the matter to be heard on next week.