SC sets up 10-member National task force to ensure doctor's safety: Dental Medical Council former President lauds move

New Delhi: To address the issues regarding the lack of safety for medical professionals, the Supreme Court on Tuesday constituted a National Task Force to make recommendations on the prevention of violence against medical professionals. Padma Awardee and former President of the Dental Medical Council Dr Anil Kohli lauded the apex court's decision as a crucial step in developing guidelines to ensure safer working conditions. 

Kohli emphasized that despite their dedication, and said that even for the medical professionals there is ''no safe place'' who give their best to society.

"After this horrifying incident in Calcutta Medical College, it is a welcome move by the Supreme Court to bring a ten people national task force which was the need of the hour. After 78 years of independence still it gender-based violence is very common in this country. There is no safe place even for the medical professionals who give their best to society. By bringing this to the Supreme Court this committee is going to form the guidelines to be implemented in the workplace," Dr Anil Kohli said, news agency ANI reported.

National President, IMA Dr R V Asokan lauded the Court decision and said that it was a very "good intervention."

Earlier today, the Indian Medical Association (IMA) wrote a letter to Union Health Minister JP Nadda and demanded that the draft bill 2019 incorporating the amendment clauses of the Epidemic Diseases Amendment Act, 2020 and the Code Grey Protocol of Kerala Government

According to an ANI report, "There are special laws enacted for specific exigencies like the POCSO Act as well. We, the Indian Medical Association appeal to you that a special exigency exists about the violence on doctors and hospitals. The doctors are vulnerable in their workplace. The State has a bounden duty to provide safety and security to the doctors and other healthcare personnel. "Right to Life" is a fundamental right," reads the letter by IMA.

"25 state legislations in this regard have not prevented violence across the country. Very few FIRs have been lodged and very few convictions have happened. There is an urgent need to bring in a Central Act on Violence on Doctors and Hospitals. This is felt acutely by the medical fraternity of India," it added.

"We demand that the draft bill 2019 incorporating the amendment clauses of the Epidemic Diseases Amendment Act, 2020 and the Code Grey Protocol of Kerala Government "Prevention Management of Violence against Healthcare workers" be proclaimed as an ordinance to instill confidence into the minds of the Doctors of India," the letter read.

Medical Dialogues had earlier reported that while considering the case of the horrific incident of rape and murder of a PG medical doctor at Kolkata-based RG Kar Medical College and Hospital, the Supreme Court has set up a National Task Force to give recommendations on the modalities to be followed across India to ensure safety of senior and junior doctors employed across the medical colleges/hospitals in the country.

The Supreme Court on Tuesday constituted a 10-member National Task Force to make recommendations on the prevention of violence and safe working conditions for medical professionals. The task force includes Surgeon Vice Admiral Arti Sarin, among others.

The members of the NTF team include - surgeon Vice Admiral Arti Sarin, AVSM, VSM, Director General, Medical Services (Navy); Dr D Nageshwar Reddy, Chairman and Managing Director, Asian Institute of Gastroenterology and AIG Hospitals, Hyderabad; Dr M Srinivas, Director, All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Delhi; Dr Pratima Murthy, Director, National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences (NIMHANS), Bengaluru; Dr Goverdhan Dutt Puri, Executive Director, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Jodhpur; Dr Saumitra Rawat, Chairperson, Institute of Surgical Gastroenterology, GI and HPB Onco-Surgery and Liver Transplantation and Member, Board of Management, Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, New Delhi; Member, Court of Examiners, Royal College of Surgeons, England; Professor Anita Saxena, Vice-Chancellor, Pandit B D Sharma Medical University, Rohtak. Formerly Dean of Academics, Chief- Cardiothoracic Centre and Head Cardiology Department at All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Delhi; Dr Pallavi Saple, Dean, Grant Medical College and Sir JJ Group of Hospitals, Mumbai; and Dr Padma Srivastava, formerly Professor at the Department of Neurology, AIIMS Delhi, currently serving as the Chairperson of Neurology at Paras Health Gurugram are among the members of the team.

Days after the rape and murder of a junior doctor in Kolkata sparked nationwide protests, the apex court suo motu took up the case and directed the task force to submit an interim report within three weeks and a final report within two months.

In response to the tragic rape and murder of a postgraduate trainee doctor at RG Kar Medical College in Kolkata on August 9, which sparked nationwide protests, the Supreme Court has also directed the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to provide a status report on the investigation and requested the West Bengal government to report on the mob attack at the RG Kar hospital on August 15.

On August 9, a postgraduate trainee doctor was allegedly raped and murdered while on duty at RG Kar Medical College in Kolkata, sparking nationwide strikes and protests by the medical community.