The Supreme Court on Friday said the nation should never forget the sacrifice of doctors and health workers during the COVID-19 pandemic. It confirmed that the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Yojna (PMGKY) insurance package covers public and private doctors who were called to COVID-19 duty and lost their lives. The Indian Medical Association reported 748 doctors died in the first wave, and around 798 more died in the second wave alone. The PMGKY scheme offered a personal accident cover of ₹50 lakh for 90 days to over 22 lakh healthcare workers directly treating COVID-19 patients. Justice P. S. Narasimha said in a 25-page judgment, “We can neither forget the situation that prevailed in 2020 nor the purport of state’s assurance to the doctors who were ‘requisitioned’.” The case came from Maharashtra after Dr. B.S. Surgade’s widow claimed her husband’s private clinic was kept open by government order during the pandemic and that he died from COVID-19 contracted there. Though the State denied requisitioning him, the court held that doctors in public and private sectors were indeed drafted due to emergency. The court added, "There is no gainsaying about the fact that circumstances in which the country was reeling under the COVID-19 pandemic required States to take immediate measures. This included requisitioning as many doctors as soon as possible." Claims under PMGKY will be examined on a case-by-case basis. The court said, "Whether the deceased lost his life while performing COVID-19 duties depends on evidence. The policy applies if there is clear proof." The claimant must provide credible evidence that the doctor died while on COVID-19 duty to qualify for the insurance benefits.