SC-appointed task force on doctors' safety to hold first meeting on Tuesday

The Supreme Court-appointed National Task Force (NTF) to formulate a protocol for ensuring the safety and security of doctors and other healthcare professionals will hold its first meeting on Tuesday, sources said.

The 10-member task force was constituted by the apex court last week after it took suo moto cognisance of the alleged rape and murder of a trainee doctor at Kolkata's RG Kar Medical College and Hospital which sparked widespread protests including by healthcare staff, impacting medical services.

The Supreme Court had said the cabinet secretary, home secretary, health secretary, National Medical Commission chairperson and the National Board of Examinations president shall be the ex-officio members of the task force.

The members of the task force include Surgeon Vice Admiral Arti Sarin, Director General (Medical Services, Navy); Dr D Nageshwar Reddy, the Chairman and Managing Director of Asian Institute of Gastroenterology and AIG Hospitals, Hyderabad; Dr M Srinivas, the Director of AIIMS-Delhi; Dr Pratima Murthy, the Director of the National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences, Bengaluru; Dr Goverdhan Dutt Puri, AIIMS Jodhpur Executive Director; Dr Saumitra Rawat, Chairperson, Institute of Surgical Gastroenterology, GI and HPB Onco-Surgery and Liver Transplantation and Member, Board of Management, Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, New Delhi.

The other members are: Professor Anita Saxena, Vice-Chancellor of Pandit B D Sharma Medical University, Rohtak; Dr Pallavi Saple, Dean, Grant Medical College and Sir JJ Group of Hospitals, Mumbai; Dr Padma Srivastava, former professor at the Department of Neurology, AIIMS-Delhi.

The Union Health Ministry last Wednesday issued a memorandum mentioning the Terms of Reference (ToR) for the NTF).

The ToR mandates the NTF to formulate effective recommendations pertaining to safety, working conditions and well-being of medical professionals and other related matters.

The apex court had asked the NTF to formulate an action plan under two sub-heads -- 1. Preventing violence, including gender-based violence, against medical professionals and providing safe working conditions' 2. Prevention of sexual violence against medical professionals.

The NTF will look into putting in place a baggage and person screening system at every entrance of a hospital to ensure that arms are not carried inside the medical establishment and also to prevent intoxicated persons from entering the premises, unless they are patients.

On infrastructure development, the ToR says there should be provision of separate resting rooms and duty rooms in each department for male doctors and female doctors, and male nurses and female nurses; and a gender-neutral common resting space.

The NTF will also explore the possibility of establishing police posts in medical facilities commensurate with the footfall, bed strength and facilities.