Delhi HC: Cannot distinguish between hospitals and small scale nursing homes while considering COVID ex gratia compensation for doctors

Delhi Govt’s decision to grant ex gratia compensation to the families of all doctors and paramedics serving in either government hospitals or in other hospitals which were requisitioned by the GNCTD for treatment of covid patients is unreasonable. Small nursing homes were not requisitoined by the Govt. ofNCT of Delhi but were also providing treatment against covid to thousands of residents of Delhi. The Court observed that-

“It is a well known fact that at the peak of pandemic during first and second waves, the small nursing homes were also providing treatment against covid to thousands of residents of Delhi and if their numbers are put together, they may well exceed the number of beds available in government hospitals and hospitals which were requisitioned by the Government for treatment of covid."
Therefore, the distinction drawn by the Delhi Government between doctors and paramedic staff working in either Government or Private Hospitals requisitioned by the State with other nursing homes which may not have been requisitioned on account of their capacity, is not justified.