Emphasizing the need to protect frontline workers, the supreme court on June 17 pulled up the Delhi government for its act of suspending health care workers for exposing facts related to the condition in hospitals.

Terming the doctors and nurses as ‘Corona Warriors’, the bench comprising of Justices Ashok Bhushan, SK Kaul, and MR Shah rebuked the Delhi government over its treatment of doctors.

‘Stop harassing doctors and registering FIRs. You can’t suppress the truth. Why did you suspend a doctor who made a video of the pathetic conditions of one of your hospitals?’ the Supreme Court said and asked the Delhi government to file an affidavit in the case.

The remarks were made by the bench while hearing a suo motu cognisance matter related to the treatment of Covid-19 patients and dignified handling of bodies in government hospitals.

Upon being questioned, the Delhi Government said that it was committed to taking care of patients, managing bodies, and raising the number of Covid-19 tests. However in a rebuttal, the supreme court said ‘Don’t shoot the messenger, don’t threaten doctors and health workers, support them,’.

In an earlier hearing, the Supreme court had described the situation in the national capital as ‘deplorable and pathetic’.

In another hearing earlier in the day, the Supreme Court asked the Centre to issue directions to states for payment of salaries and providing necessary quarantine facilities to doctors and healthcare workers engaged in treating Covid-19 patients.

Coronavirus cases in the national capital stand at approximately 47,100, with 17,457 recoveries and a death toll amounting to 1,904.

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