India’s top court forms tasks force on medics' security amid countrywide protests

NEW DELHI

India's top court on Tuesday constituted a 10-member National Task Force (NTF) to formulate a protocol for ensuring the security of doctors following a rape and murder of a doctor that triggered protests across the country.

A bench headed by Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud, which took a suo moto action, appealed to doctors to resume their duties as soon as possible.

Health services in India have been disrupted amid massive protests by doctors across the country against the rape and murder of a doctor at a medical college in the eastern West Bengal state earlier this month.

The trainee doctor, 31, was attacked at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata, the capital of West Bengal.

Her body was found inside the hospital on Aug. 9 and an autopsy showed she suffered sexual assault before being killed. The incident triggered nationwide protests.

In Tuesday’s order, the Supreme Court said: “Safety and well-being as health providers is a matter of national interest.”

It added: “The lack of institutional safety norms at medical establishments against both violence and sexual violence against medical professionals is a matter of serious concern.”

The court said: “A national consensus must be evolved - after due consultation with all stakeholders - on the urgent need to formulate protocols governing the issues.”

The task force “shall formulate effective recommendations to remedy the issues of concern pertaining to safety, working conditions and well-being of medical professionals and other cognate matters,” the court said in the order.

While India’s Central Bureau of Investigations (CBI) is currently investigating the case, the Indian Health Ministry recently directed all government hospitals to file police complaints within six hours of any violence on their premises.

Tuesday's order asked the CBI and West Bengal police to file a status report by Aug. 22, when the matter will be heard next.