The Supreme Court has set up a National Task Force to address the safety of doctors. The task force has been directed it to submit its interim report within three weeks. This decision follows the recent rape and murder of a doctor at a Kolkata hospital, which has shocked the nation and triggered widespread outrage.

The task force must deliver its final report within two months, Chief Justice DY Chandrachud said while pointing out that the current laws do not sufficiently address the institutional safety of doctors.

The task force will make recommendations on the safety, working conditions, and overall wellbeing of medical professionals, among other related issues, according to the Chief Justice.

The task force will consist of 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 of Cardiology at AIIMS Delhi), Prof Pallavi Sapre (Dean of Grant Medical College Mumbai), and Dr Padma Srivastava (Neurology Department at AIIMS).

Ex-officio members will include the Union Cabinet Secretary, Union Home Secretary, Union Health Secretary, the Chairperson of the National Medical Commission, and the President of the National Board of Examiners.

The rape and murder of a trainee postgraduate doctor at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata on August 9 has led to nationwide strikes by the medical community. The Supreme Court, taking suo motu cognizance of the case, stressed that the nation cannot afford to wait for another such incident to prompt change.

Chief Justice Chandrachud remarked on the increasing vulnerability of doctors to violence from patients’ attendants and noted that women doctors are often disproportionately targeted due to persistent patriarchal biases.

The case is set to be reviewed again on August 22.

The bench, which also included Justices JB Pardiwala and Manoj Mishra, criticised the West Bengal government and the hospital administration for their delay in filing the FIR. The court also condemned the use of force against peaceful protestors and criticised the Bengal government for its failure to prevent midnight vandalism at RG Kar hospital. A mob had caused significant damage to the emergency ward’s infrastructure during a late-night protest.