Constitutional Safeguards to the Right to Life

Abstract

Amidst the ongoing COVID Pandemic, the entire world has seen sufferings, loss of life, denial to adequate healthcare and medical facilities, the infringement to human dignity and also a shortage of oxygen and hospital beds in major hospitals. The Supreme Court of India has stepped in to provide ex gratia compensation to all the victims of the COVID pandemic, especially noting that the loss of life cannot be justified on the grounds that the reason of death on the individual’s certificate makes no mention of COVID1. The judgment further goes on to point that COVID patients dying by suicide shall also be included under the scheme of compensation.