On Thursday, the Madras High Court ruled that post-graduate students who served on Covid-19 duty in government hospitals can now qualify for additional marks in their selection process as assistant surgeons.

The bench, led by Chief Justice S V Gangapurwala and Justice D Bharathachakravarthy, delivered the ruling while partially granting a petition filed by Dr. D Hariharan and three other doctors.

Affirming a government directive from August 17, 2023, which awarded bonus marks to health professionals undertaking Covid-19 duties within their regular government roles, the bench rejected the petitions submitted by Dr. T Ajay and 26 other doctors. Their challenge against the legitimacy of the order was dismissed.

The bench emphasized that the petitioners and others in similar positions, who fulfilled Covid-19 duties, ought to be recognized as "Medical Officers" as per the order's criteria for receiving incentive marks.

The court held that the services provided by the post-graduate students were indeed within their 36-month training period, intended as practical training aligned with their area of study. However, due to the unprecedented circumstances brought about by the pandemic, they were additionally tasked with Covid-19 responsibilities in the relevant wards of government hospitals.

There was consensus that these post-graduate students fulfilled duties and endured challenges akin to those of other medical officers employed by the State Government. In fact, individuals specifically recruited by the State Government to serve in Covid-19 wards—integral to disaster management—were designated as "Medical Officers," as highlighted by the bench.