The Supreme Court today said it took suo motu cognisance of the brutal rape and murder case of a doctor in Kolkata as it raises “a systematic issue regarding the safety of doctors” across India.
The body of the 31-year-old postgraduate trainee doctor was found in the seminar hall of the state-run RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata on August 9, triggering nationwide protests. A civic volunteer has been arrested in connection with the crime.
A bench headed by Chief Justice DY Chandrachud said if women are not able to go to work and working conditions are not safe, "we are denying them equality".
The Supreme Court then suggested the following measures to ensure the safety of healthcare professionals:
- Areas of the emergency room in hospitals may need additional security.
- Baggage screening to prevent arms from entering hospitals.
- Not allowing persons beyond a limit if they are not patients.
- Security to manage the crowd in hospitals.
- Have restrooms for doctors and gender-neutral spaces for the resting of doctors and nurses. Such areas should have biometrics and facial recognition.
- Proper lighting of all areas and installation of CCTV in all places.
- Transport from 10 pm to 6 am for medical professionals.
- Conducting workshops for handling grief and crisis.
- Quarterly audits of institutional safety measures.
- Establishing a police force commensurate with footfall.
- POSH Act applies to medical establishments so an Internal Complaints Committee (ICC) has to be constituted.
- Helpline numbers for emergencies for medical professionals.
- The Supreme Court also set up a national task force to ensure the safety of doctors.
The Supreme Court also set up a national task force to ensure the safety of doctors, which must submit its final report within two months.
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 Cardiology, AIIMS Delhi, Prof Pallavi Sapre, Dean Grant Medical College Mumbai, and Dr Padma Srivastava, Neurology department, AIIMS.
The court hearing came amid a doctors' strike — which has now entered its second week — over the rape and murder of the medic.
The protesting doctors want the CBI, which is probing the case, to arrest the culprits and for the court to impose the maximum punishment on them. They also want a central law to protect healthcare workers and institutions across the nation.
