No Resident Doctor in the National Task Force, Doctors Express Concern
New Delhi: The Supreme Court's recent decision to form a National Task Force (NTF) in response to the tragic rape and murder of a postgraduate medical doctor at RG Kar Medical College has been welcomed by the medical fraternity.
However, the composition of the committee has sparked a new controversy as young doctors who have taken to the streets in support of their recently murdered colleague have pointed out that there is no resident doctor in the committee.
The absence of junior doctor representation in the Task Force has raised serious concerns about whether the voices of those most affected by workplace safety issues are being adequately considered, resident doctors pointed out.
Medical Dialogues had earlier reported that the Supreme Court today constituted a National Task Force, composed of nine senior doctors and several ex-officio government officials, and directed it to develop safety protocols for healthcare professionals across India.
The panel includes Surgeon Vice Admiral Dr. Arti Sarin, Dr. D Nageshwar Reddy, Managing Director of the Asian Institute of Gastroenterology, Dr. M Srinivas, Director of AIIMS Delhi, Dr. Prathima Murthy from NIMHANS Bangalore, Dr. Goverdhan Dutt Puri, Director of AIIMS Jodhpur, Dr. Saumitra Rawat, Managing Member of Gangaram Hospital, Prof Anita Saxena, Vice Chancellor of Pandit BD Sharma College, Dr. Pallavi Sapre, Dean of Grant Medical College, Mumbai, and Dr. Padma Srivastav from the Neurology Department of AIIMS.
The Supreme Court has tasked the NTF with preventing violence, including gender-based violence, against healthcare professionals and establishing enforceable national protocols for dignified and safe working conditions. However, young doctors are worried that the lack of resident doctors in the committee means that their concerns will mostly be overlooked.
Commenting on the matter, the National Co-Convener of the Indian Medical Association Junior Doctors' Network (IMA-JDN), Dr. Karan Juneja welcomed the Supreme Court's order. However, he told Medical Dialogues, "Resident doctors are the backbone of our healthcare system, yet their voices are ignored in decision-making processes that directly impact their lives. That is why proper representation is important. So, to bring real change, the inclusion of resident doctors in the Task Force is necessary."
Dr. Rohan Krishnan, the National Chairman of the Federation of All India Medical Association (FAIMA) said, "Any Task Force, which is for the helping of resident doctors must have some resident doctors also. That is of most importance."
"Apart from that, we welcome the Honourable Supreme Court's decision of making a National Task Force and the Supreme Court has been very sympathetic towards the doctors. But in our nation, the majority of the RDAs are in their general body meetings. After that, we will we will give an united stand about the strike," he added.
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