After the recent rape and murder of a female trainee doctor on hospital premises, the Indian Supreme Court (SC) has constituted a National Task Force (NTF) of medical professionals to give regulatory recommendations for workplace safety and protection.
The attack on the young doctor (31) had fuelled nationwide protests, reports The Jurist.
During the hearing on the matter, the SC rebuked the conduct of the state machinery and police in their negligent approach towards the case, including not filing the First Information Report (FIR) on time and telling the victim’s parents that she had committed suicide.
The police were also slammed for failing to protect peaceful protesters from a mob attack during the “Reclaim the Night” campaign where a mob vandalised the RG Kar Medical Hospital in Kolkata, the location of the murder.
The apex court cited a lack of security for medical professionals – doctors, nurses and paramedics – in hospitals where they are frequently attacked by patients’ families, and also stressed the unhygienic working conditions doctors face, with too few restrooms for both male and female professionals.
The SC in its order also said that as increasing numbers of women joined the workforce “in cutting edge areas of knowledge and science”, the nation had a vital stake “in ensuring safe and dignified conditions of work”.
“The nation cannot await a rape or murder for real changes on the ground.”
The action plan for the NTF has been split into two sections, one of which includes preventing violence, including gender-based violence against medical professionals, and the second calling for the provision of an enforceable national protocol for dignified and safe working conditions for interns, residents, senior residents, doctors, nurses and all medical professionals.
The SC also highlighted section 13 of the Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act 2013, which calls on employers to regularly organise awareness programmes and provide safety to the employees.
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