New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Tuesday termed the Kolkata doctor rape and murder case as “horrific” and “horrendous” and said it was a reflection of the systemic absence of safe working conditions in hospitals and medical colleges.
Apex court expressed concern at rising trend of attacks and violence against medical professionals
A three-judge bench of the highest court in the country, comprising Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud, Justice JB Pardiwala and Justice Manoj Misra, also expressed concern at the rising trend of attacks and violence against medical professionals by relatives of the patients and other people.
Apex court set up a 10-member national task force to deal with the issue pf violence against medical professionals
To tide over this trend of rising violence against medical professionals including nursing staff, the court on Tuesday set up a 10 member national task force to evolve protocols and make recommendations on prevention of violence and safe working conditions for medical professionals across the country. The task force comprises eminent doctors and medical professionals.
Task force will be headed by surgeon Vice Admiral Arti Sarin of Indian Navy
The Task force will be headed by surgeon Vice Admiral Arti Sarin of the Indian Navy. She currently serves as the Director General Medical Services (Navy) and was earlier Director and Commandant of the Armed Forces Medical College (AFMC).
Other members of the Task Force
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;
Dr Padma Srivastava, formerly Professor at the Department of Neurology, AIIMS Delhi. Currently serving as the Chairperson of Neurology at Paras Health Gurugram.
Besides, Cabinet Secretary, Government of India, Home Secretary, Government of India; Secretary, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India, Chairperson, National Medical Commission; and President, National Board of Examinations shall be ex-officio members of the Task force.
