5 St Stephens Hospital staff move Delhi HC against their sacking during coronavirus outbreak

A plea has been moved in the Delhi High Court by five employees of St Stephens Hospital challenging the facility's decision to sack them from its Gurgaon branch during the coronavirus outbreak.

The petition, moved by the ex-support staff of St Stephens Hospital Healthcare Facility in Gurgaon, contended that the decision was taken without giving any notice or opportunity to hear them.

The decision was taken on March 30 by the management of St Stephens Hospital, located at Tis Hazari here, as it was closing its Gurgaon facility, the plea said.

However, no one else was terminated by the hospital, the petition claimed.

Apart from the hospital, the petition has arrayed the ministries of Home Affairs and Labour and Employment as parties in the matter.

The petitioners have contended that the decision was in violation of the advisories issued by the Labour Ministry on March 20 and March 23 which had "specifically directed that persons engaged contractually or casually with either public or private establishments not be terminated during the coronavirus outbreak".

The petition said that due to their termination, the petitioners have been left without any means of livelihood for themselves and their families during the prevailing COVID-19 pandemic.

"That such termination at this catastrophic juncture is inhumane and in the teeth of the two advisories," the petition said.

It sought quashing of the March 30 decision taken by the St Stephens Hospital management or a direction to continue employing them while COVID-19 pandemic subsists in the country.