The Delhi High Court has instructed the payment of Rs. 1 crore in ex-gratia compensation to the husband and minor son of a healthcare worker who lost their life while serving on COVID-19 duty during the initial wave of the pandemic.

Justice Prathiba M Singh has ordered that Rs. 50 lakhs should be disbursed to the husband and the remaining Rs. 50 lakhs should be provided to the son.

The court stipulated that the funds allocated to the son should be held as a Fixed Deposit Receipt (FDR) in his name by the father. It further noted that this FDR would become accessible to the minor when he reaches the legal age of majority, and he could decide how to utilize it. Additionally, any interest generated by this FDR can be used for the minor's expenses and education.

Justice Singh presided over a petition filed by Joseph Varghese, the husband of Rachel Varghese, who served as a Quality Manager in the Blood Bank at Medeor Hospital. The hospital had been designated as a COVID-19 facility in May 2020, and tragically, Rachel Varghese lost her life in June 2020 while on duty.

Varghese had requested an ex-gratia compensation of Rs. 1 crore based on the Delhi Government's Cabinet Decision from May 13, 2020. This decision specified that compensation would be provided to the families of employees who lost their lives while on duty related to COVID-19.

The counsel representing the Delhi Government informed the court that a meeting of the Group of Ministers occurred on September 13, during which there was unanimous agreement to recommend the provision of an ex-gratia amount of Rs. 1 crore to the family members of the deceased healthcare worker.

In light of the decision made by the Group of Ministers (GoM) to grant the ex-gratia payment of Rs. 1 crore to the petitioner, the court has concluded the current writ petition. The court has directed that the said amount of Rs. 1 crore should be released to the legal heirs of the deceased, namely, the husband and the son.

Justice Singh has instructed that the designated amount should be transferred to the husband by December 24.