Supreme Court Says Families of Private Doctors Who Died During Covid Cannot Be Denied ₹50 Lakh Insurance
New Delhi: In a significant ruling acknowledging the sacrifices of frontline medical workers, the Supreme Court on Thursday held that families of private doctors and health professionals who died while treating Covid-19 patients are entitled to coverage under the Centre’s ₹50 lakh Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Yojana (PMGKY) insurance scheme.
A Bench of Justices P.S. Narasimha and R. Mahadevan delivered the verdict while hearing an appeal filed by the widow of Dr. B.S. Surgade, a private doctor who continued to treat patients during the nationwide lockdown and died of Covid-19 in June 2020. The Bombay High Court had earlier rejected her plea, saying Dr. Surgade was not “officially requisitioned” for Covid duty.
The Supreme Court struck down that interpretation, calling it “hyper-technical” and inconsistent with the realities of the early pandemic months. It noted that the Centre’s emergency notifications and local directives requiring private clinics to remain open amounted to an implied requisition.
The Bench said the PMGKY insurance scheme was meant to reassure frontline workers that the nation “stood firmly behind them,” and the absence of a formal appointment order cannot be used to defeat that purpose.
However, the Court made it clear that benefit eligibility still depends on proof that the deceased contracted Covid-19 while performing Covid-related work. Each case, it said, must be assessed independently by competent authorities, and claimants bear the responsibility of submitting credible evidence.
Reflecting on the pandemic’s devastating impact, the Bench wrote: “Our doctors and health professionals rose as unwavering heroes, turning challenges into courage.”
OUR THOUGHTS
The Supreme Court’s ruling reaffirms the moral and legal responsibility of the state to honour frontline health workers who risked their lives during an unprecedented global crisis. By rejecting rigid interpretations of “requisition,” the Court recognised the reality that thousands of private practitioners stepped up without formal orders. This judgment brings much-needed clarity and compassion, ensuring that families of doctors who died serving the nation are not denied justice on technical grounds. It also sets a humane precedent for future public-health emergencies — one that values sacrifice, service, and fairness above bureaucratic procedure.