Post-Graduate Students On Covid Duty Also Eligible For Incentive Marks: High Court

The Madras High Court on Thursday held that post-graduate students who were on Covid-19 duty in government hospitals will also be eligible for the incentive marks for selection to the post of assistant surgeons.

The first bench comprising Chief Justice S V Gangapurwala and Justice D Bharathachakravarthy gave the ruling while partly allowing a petition from Dr D Hariharan and three other doctors.

Upholding a government order dated August 17, 2023, granting incentive marks to those health professionals who performed Covid-19-related duty in regular government appointments, the bench dismissed the petitions filed by Dr T Ajay and 26 other doctors, challenging the validity of the order.

The bench said the petitioners and the other similarly situated applicants, who performed Covid-19 duty should also be considered as "Medical Officers" for the purpose of granting incentive marks vide the order.

The court said it was true the services rendered by the PG students was part of their 36-month period training. The said period was supposed to be the practical training towards the subject which they study. Because of the abnormal situation arising out of the pandemic, they were also roped in for Covid-19 duty in related wards in the government hospitals.

It was not in dispute that they put in the same kind of duty and underwent the same rigours as that of the other medical officers recruited by the State Government. As a matter of fact, the persons, who were recruited by the State Government for the purpose of performing Covid-19 duty in these wards which were set up as part of the disaster management, were categorised as "Medical Officers", the bench added. 

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