Supreme Court Constitutes National Task Force For Safety Of Doctors

The Supreme Court on Tuesday formed a National Task Force to develop measures for the safety and well-being of doctors and medical professionals across India.

The NTF will be led by Surgeon Vice Admiral Dr Arti Sarin. It is required to submit an interim report within three weeks and a final report within two months.

The court's decision follows the horrific rape and murder of a resident doctor from Kolkata's RG Kar Medical College and Hospital. Expressing shock at the incident, the court criticised the environment in which doctors in India operate.

"The reason why we are addressing this is because it raises systemic concerns about the safety of doctors across India," the apex court stated. The court also condemned the media for publicising the victim’s name and images.

Several questions were raised regarding the conduct of authorities involved in the incident. The court questioned the police's role, asking, "What was the court police doing when vandals broke in? What was the principal doing in passing off the incident as a suicide?"

Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, representing the Centre, remarked that 7,000 vandals could not have reached the crime scene without police complicity.

Consequently, the court ordered the CBI to submit a status report on the matter by Thursday, the next scheduled hearing date. It also directed the West Bengal government to report on how such large-scale vandalism occurred in the presence of police personnel.

To ensure the safety of doctors at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital, the court handed security responsibilities to the Central Industrial Security Force. It observed that the local police, under whose watch the vandalism took place, could not be trusted with the doctors' protection.

The Calcutta High Court is already overseeing the case and has transferred the investigation from the state police to the CBI.