Supreme Court: “Society Won't Forgive Us if We Fail to Care for Doctors Who Died of COVID-19”

While reserving judgment in a plea concerning the Union Government’s insurance coverage scheme for doctors who died due to COVID-19 during the pandemic, the two-judge bench of the Supreme Court (SC) of India, today (October 28, 2025), constituting Justice PS Narasimha and Justice R Mahadevan, said, “Society will not forgive us if we don't take care of our doctors. The first profession that protects human life is the doctor....this country wouldn’t forget us if we don’t stand by doctors and take care of them.”  The main question addressed by the top court concerned the eligibility under the government’s insurance scheme, particularly for doctors who were not officially on government duty but kept their clinics open to serve patients during the pandemic. 

While hearing the matter, Justice Narasimha (addressing Additional Solicitor General Aishwarya Bhati) remarked, “You should compel the insurance company to pay if according to you the condition is met that they were on COVID response and they died because of COVID. Merely because they were not in government duty, the assumption that they were making profits and sitting idle is not correct.” The bench also clarified that it would not declare individual claims but lay down the principles on implementation of the insurance scheme. It added that the criteria would also include whether the deceased doctor was engaged in medical service and died due to COVID-19 infection.

Lastly, the bench also directed the Union, “Give the data to us and some information about other parallel schemes that are available apart from the present Pradhan Mantri scheme. We will lay down the principle and on that basis claims can be made to the insurance company. It is for the insurance company to consider and pass orders on the basis of our judgment.”