Supreme Court Calls for Action on Medical Safety

Background

The Supreme Court of India has given the National Task Force (NTF) three weeks to provide recommendations for improving the safety of medical professionals. This decision comes after a tragic incident at RG Kar Medical College in Kolkata, where a doctor was murdered and allegedly raped.

Supreme Court’s Concerns

A bench led by Chief Justice DY Chandrachud, along with Justices JB Pardiwala and Manoj Misra, expressed concern over the NTF’s lack of progress. The court noted that no meetings had occurred since early September and urged the Centre to ensure timely completion of the NTF’s work.

NTF’s Mandate

The NTF was established to create an action plan to prevent violence against medical professionals and improve their working conditions. The court has directed that NTF meetings be held regularly, with subgroups convening frequently to update the court with tentative recommendations.

West Bengal’s Response

The West Bengal government has assured the court of security upgrades at RG Kar Medical College by October 31 and at all 28 medical colleges in the state by October 25. A state-level grievance redressal committee has been set up to conduct security audits, and additional security personnel have been deployed.

Ongoing Investigations

Solicitor General Tushar Mehta informed the court that the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has filed a chargesheet against the accused, Sanjoy Roy, in the RG Kar Medical College case. The CBI is also investigating financial irregularities at the college and will submit further reports within three weeks.