Protesters clash with police in Calcutta; Supreme Court criticises Bengali government

Kolkata Doctor SC Hearing News Live: SC sets up 10-member task force to formulate national protocol

In response to the recent tragic incident of rape and murder of a medical worker in Kolkata, the Supreme Court has constituted a ten-member Task Force. The main objective of this Task Force is to develop a comprehensive national protocol to ensure the safety and welfare of healthcare workers across the country.

The Task Force has been given a strict timeline to submit its findings and recommendations. An interim report is expected within three weeks, while the final report is expected within two months. Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud stressed that the protection of women doctors is a matter of national importance and the principle of equality requires nothing less than concerted efforts to address this issue.

The Supreme Court expressed concern about the need for immediate action, saying that the country cannot afford to wait for another unfortunate incident before implementing the necessary changes on the ground. While acknowledging the existence of laws to protect medical professionals, the court stressed that these measures are inadequate in addressing the existing systemic problems.

The Task Force comprises eminent medical and administrative officials including Surgeon Vice Admiral RK Sarian, Dr Reddy, Executive Director of Asian Institute of National Gastrology, Dr M Srinivas, Director of AIIMS, Delhi and Dr Prathima Moorthy of NIMHANS, Bangalore, to name a few. In addition, the Cabinet Secretary and Home Secretary of the Union Government have been appointed as ex officio members of the National Task Force.

In a related development, the Supreme Court has directed the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to submit a status report on the ongoing investigation in the Kolkata rape and murder case by August 22. Similarly, the West Bengal government has been directed to submit a status report detailing the progress of the investigation into the mob attack on RG Kar Hospital by the same date.