Supreme Court Guidelines for the protection of the Medical Professionals-2024 intervening in the unfortunate incident of lady doctor of the the RG Kar Hospital of Kolkata.
The Apex Court directed to constitute a National Task Force ( NTF) to formulate effective recommendations to remedy the issues of concern pertaining to safety, working conditions and well-being of medical professionals and other cognate matters highlighted in the above segments of this order. The NTF shall while doing so, consider the following aspects to prepare an action-plan. The action plan may be categorized under two heads (I) Preventing violence, including gender based violence against medical professionals; and (II) Providing an enforceable national protocol for dignified and safe working conditions for interns, residents, senior residents, doctors, nurses and all medical professionals.
I. Prevention of violence against medical professionals and providing
safe working conditions.
II. Prevention of sexual violence against medical professionals:
The NTF is requested to submit an interim report within three weeks and the final report within two months from the date of this order.
16. All State Governments and UT Governments, through their Secretaries, in the Ministries of Health and Family Welfare and the Central Government, through the Secretary, Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare must collate information from all hospitals run by the State and the Central Government, respectively on the following aspects:
a. How many security personnel are employed at each Hospital and each department;
b. Whether there is a baggage and person screening mechanism in place at the entrance of the medical establishment;
c. The total number of resting/duty rooms in the Hospital and specific details of the number in each Department;
d. The facilities provided in the resting/duty rooms;
e. Information on whether all areas of the hospital are accessible to the general public and if so, with or without any security restrictions;
f. Whether there are CCTV cameras in the hospital. If there are, how many and in which locations;
g. Whether the institution provides medical professionals training to appropriately handle the grief of patients. If so, the details of the training must be provided;
h. Whether social workers who specialize in handling grief of families of the patients are employed at the hospital. If so, the total number of social workers must be provided;
i.Whether there are police posts within the premises of the Hospital or the Medical College Hospital campus;
j.Whether an Internal Complaints Committee in terms of the Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act 2013 has been constituted; and
k. Whether the employer of the establishment has discharged the duties prescribed by Section 19 of the Sexual Harassment of Women at
Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act 2013. If so, details of it.