The Supreme Court on Tuesday expressed deep concerns over inadequate security at workplaces in leading healthcare hubs of the country, saying it cannot wait for a major tragedy like rape or murder to bring about effective changes. The court was hearing a suo-motu case related to the alleged assault and subsequent death of a postgraduate student of the RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata.
A bench headed by Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud took cognizance and said the countrywide uproar that emerged last week over the tragic incident has brought to the fore the immediate requirement of enhanced safety measures for medical professionals. The bench took note of the red flags being raised by medical associations for quite some time over the violence being faced by healthcare workers while discharging duties.
The bench, consisting of Justices JB Pardiwala and Manoj Misra, too, said by the principle of equality ensured under the Indian Constitution, there is an absolute protection that has to be provided to those rendering care in health. The court said: "We cannot wait for another rape or murder to prompt real change.".
The judges flagged the issue of free access to hospitals that exposes health workers to violence, mainly from patients' relatives who sometimes hold the medical staff in bad light in case of any bad prognosis. The court termed such acts of violence as symptoms of a larger system failure in protecting doctors, nurses, and other support staff.
The court also noted in the case that women are further exposed to higher risks of sexual and non-sexual violence in hospitals due to the deeply rooted patriarchal attitudes. Many female practitioners in medical have also reported sexual harassment by their fellow colleagues and superiors, indicating the extent of the problem.
The Supreme Court criticized the lack of robust institutional safety protocols within medical establishments, emphasizing that the current laws and penalties for violence against healthcare professionals are unable to solve fundamental systemic problems. Though some states have come up with legislations for protection of the healthcare workers, the court opines that will amount to little without matching integrity in safety standards.
The court has called for a national consensus to tackle these crucial issues and constituted a 10-member National Task Force (NTF) that will now be formulating comprehensive protocols toward ensuring the safety and well-being of healthcare professionals.
