In the landmark case of Parmanand Katara v. Union of India (1989), the Supreme Court elevated the professional obligation of doctors to a legal duty enforceable under Article 21 of the Constitution. The court held that every doctor, whether at a government or a private hospital, has a professional duty to extend medical assistance to an injured person to preserve life without waiting for legal formalities like a police report. The Court emphasized that the effort to save a person's life should be the top priority, superseding any procedural or legal requirements.