The Supreme Court has set up a national task force to ensure the safety of medical professionals. A bench led by Chief Justice DY Chandrachud, while hearing the case regarding the rape and murder of a doctor at the RG Kar Hospital Kolkata, directed the task force to submit its interim report within three weeks and the final report within two months. The CJI said that the Court is creating a National Task Force comprising doctors from across the country to provide recommendations on the modalities to be followed nationwide to ensure the safety of women.
The bench directed the immediate removal of all social media content including any references to the name, pictures and videos of the Kolkata rape and murder victim. Additionally, the Court has also directed the deployment of CISF for the protection and safety of resident doctors, especially female doctors at the RG Kar Hospital Kolkata.
The bench also voiced strong dissatisfaction with both the West Bengal government and the authorities at the hospital for their handling of the case. CJI Chandrachud criticized the significant procedural lapses, notably the delayed filing of the FIR and mishandling of the crime scene by hospital administration and local police.
Expressing deep concern over the unsafe working environment of doctors and medical professionals across the country, the Court said that existing laws do not adequately address the institutional safety of doctors. The Court said it has initiated the case on its own regarding the rape and murder of a doctor at the Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata to address systemic issues.
The task force will comprise Surgeon Vice Admiral R. Sarin, Dr. D. Nageshwar Reddy, Dr. M. Shreenivas, Dr. Pratima Murty, Dr. Goverdhan Dutt Puri, Dr. Saumitra Rawat, Prof. Anita Saxena (Head of Cardiology, AIIMS Delhi), Prof. Pallavi Sapre (Dean, Grant Medical College Mumbai), and Dr. Padma Srivastava (Neurology Department, AIIMS).
The bench also noted that several states, such as Maharashtra, Kerala, Telangana, etc., have framed state laws to deal with violence against doctors. However, these laws do not address deficiencies in institutional safety standards.
