Delhi HC rejects Union government’s contention that hospital chowkidar not a Covid martyr

The high court ordered the Union government to release ₹50 lakh in favour of the widow of a security guard of Safdarjung Hospital who died of Covid during the pandemic.

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LAST week, the Delhi High Court ordered the Union government to release ₹50 lakh in favour of a woman whose husband, a security guard at Safdarjung Hospital, died during the Covid pandemic.

The petitioner, Sangeeta Wahi, had approached the high court seeking two-fold relief.

Firstly, the benefit of an insurance package announced by the Union government under the 'Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Package: Insurance scheme for health workers fighting Covid'.

Secondly, the benefits of the scheme announced by the Department of Health and Family Welfare, Government of National Capital Territory (NCT) for grant of ex gratia compensation of ₹1 crore to the families of employees who died of Covid-related complications while on Covid duty.

The Union government contended that the petitioner was not entitled to the insurance because the deceased husband of the petitioner was not deployed for the care of Covid patients and, therefore, she would not be entitled to the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Package.

The Union government also argued that the Safdarjung Hospital has a dedicated separate building, i.e., super-speciality building (SSB) and SARI ward of new emergency building for suspected Covid patients and a fever screening centre in the old casualty area was functioning for suspected patients.

On this count, the government contended that since the late husband of the petitioner was posted in the OPD registration counter area, he was not in direct contact of Covid patients. He was thus not covered under the scheme. The government argued.

Single-judge Justice Subramonium Prasad rejected the approach adopted by the Union government. Justice Prasad opined that the Union government could not take such a narrow approach in the matter.