India’s Supreme Court has ordered the creation of a national task force to improve security for healthcare workers after the shocking rape and murder of a doctor in Kolkata.
The tragic incident has led to widespread medical strikes and protests across the country.
The 31-year-old doctor’s body was found at a state-run hospital in Kolkata on August 9, sparking nationwide outrage over violence against women.
The brutal nature of the crime has prompted doctors from government-run hospitals in several cities to strike, cutting non-essential services, while protests continue into their second week.
Protesters marched through the streets of Kolkata on Tuesday, holding signs demanding “justice” for the slain doctor. Meanwhile, in New Delhi, the Supreme Court issued a significant order to address the issue.
“The brutality of the sexual assault and the nature of the crime have shocked the conscience of the nation,” stated the three-judge bench. They described the details of the crime as “horrific.”
Chief Justice D. Y. Chandrachud read out the court’s order, which called for the formation of a “national task force” made up of top doctors. This task force is expected to develop a plan to prevent violence in healthcare facilities and create an “enforceable national protocol” to ensure safe working conditions for medical professionals.
“The lack of institutional safety norms at medical establishments, against both violence and sexual violence against medical professionals, is a matter of serious concern,” the court’s order emphasized. “With few or no protective systems to ensure their safety, medical professionals have become vulnerable to violence.”
The court also pointed out that “lack of security personnel in medical care units is more of a norm than an exception.”
The doctor was found in the hospital’s seminar hall, indicating she may have gone there for a break during a 36-hour-long shift. An autopsy confirmed that she had been sexually assaulted. Her parents have petitioned the Kolkata High Court, expressing their suspicion that their daughter was gang raped.
Protests have been led by doctors and healthcare workers, but tens of thousands of ordinary Indians have also joined, demanding action.
“As more and more women join the workforce in cutting-edge areas of knowledge and science, the nation has a vital stake in ensuring safe and dignified conditions of work,” the court said. “The nation cannot await a rape or murder for real changes on the ground,” it added.
