Delhi High Court: Resident doctors needed in hospitals

New Delhi: The Delhi High Court has said services of resident doctors are imperative for functioning of hospitals in the current situation arising out of the COVID-19 pandemic, and the authorities' decision to extend their training beyond schedule cannot be ex facie arbitrary or unreasonable.

The high court was hearing a plea by several doctors who are in DNB Super Speciality courses, challenging a May 4, 2021 notification by which the National Board of Examination (NBE) has extended their training beyond the scheduled date of its completion.

The doctors submitted that the DNB course is of three years and a mandatory extension of three months is permissible, which they have already served, and claimed that the authorities are not empowered to extend the course beyond this period.

"Having regard to the circumstances arising out of the COVID-19 pandemic and the need for continuation of residents as mentioned in the National Medical Commission (NMC) advisory dated April 27, 2021 – which has not been challenged in the writ petition – I am unable to accede to (advocate Sidharth) Yadav's request for an interim order," Justice Prateek Jalan said.

The court agreed with the submission of advocate T Singhdev for the NMC and advocate Kirtiman Singh for the NBE that the availability of resident doctors is imperative for the functioning of hospitals. "In the present situation, the decision of the respondents cannot be said to be ex facie arbitrary or unreasonable," it said.