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The Orissa High Court has declared a deceased government hospital pharmacist a ‘Covid Warrior,’ entitling his widow to financial assistance under state welfare provisions.
The ruling overturned an earlier order that had denied benefits on the grounds that the pharmacist was not directly assigned Covid-related duties.
Ashok Kumar Patro, employed as a pharmacist at the district headquarters hospital in Rayagada since July 2020, contracted COVID-19 and was hospitalised on 3 September 2020. He succumbed to the virus on 11 September 2020.
State authorities rejected Covid Warrior status
Following his death, Patro's wife, E Meerabai Patro, applied for financial assistance available to families of designated Covid warriors, under a government resolution dated 4 August 2020.
However, the Odisha government rejected her claim on 22 June 2021, stating that Patro had been engaged in routine duties at a drug distribution centre and not formally designated for Covid management.
A single judge of the High Court upheld the government's decision in February 2024, reasoning that Patro’s role did not fall under the Covid warrior category as per official guidelines.
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Division bench rules in favour of widow
Meerabai appealed the decision. A division bench comprising Chief Justice Harish Tandon and Justice B P Routray reviewed the appeal and ruled that the earlier judgment failed to recognise the nature of Patro’s duties.
The bench highlighted that even if he was posted at a drug distribution centre, his responsibilities inevitably brought him into contact with multiple hospital areas, including wards with Covid-19 patients.
The court further acknowledged a certification by the Chief District Medical and Public Health Officer of Rayagada, confirming that Patro had been drafted for Covid-related work.
In its verdict, the bench stated that "his exposure to direct contact with Covid-19 patients in the course of discharging his duties as a pharmacist is very much probable."
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Financial aid approved
The High Court set aside the earlier judgment and directed the Odisha state authorities to provide financial compensation to Meerabai Patro in accordance with the finance department’s resolution.
The case sets a significant precedent in recognising the contribution of frontline workers beyond those formally assigned to Covid-specific tasks.
