The bench of justice Anand Venkatesh of Madras High Court while refusing to give relief to 19 doctors observed that doctors are admire as gods by patients and gods must not waste their time in litigation.

The was petition filed by nineteen doctors who had been posted by the Director of Public Health and Preventive Medicine at Upgraded Health Centres, and Primary Health Centres across Tamil Nadu as part of the compulsory rural posting, as that was part of their bond.

The petition stated that State-run UHCs and PHCs has lacked infrastructure and facilities to provide specialised treatment and these centres primarily provided basic services and first aid to patients before referring them to specialised hospitals. Thus, post graduate doctors need not be posted to such centres and instead, they be posted to State Hospital headquarters or other specialised hospitals.

Court said “There are various instances where doctors with specialization have rendered their services in remote villages and rural areas without any facilities and they have paved way for creating new facilities for the poor people. This is the attitude with which the doctors are expected to render their services. The patients look at doctors who treat them like god when a precious life is saved and this Court expects doctors to maintain that standard and render service. The PG doctors cannot be heard to say that they will work only if all the facilities are available. Let not Gods waste their time in litigation”.

Dr Sri Hari Vignesh R vs State of Tamil Nadu