Safety of doctors top priority, SC tells Centre, States

New Delhi: The Supreme Court passed a slew of directions on Thursday while hearing a suo-motu case related to the rape and killing of a post-graduate medic at the state-run RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata.

A bench headed by Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud perused a status report filed by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and an affidavit submitted by the West Bengal government. Here are some of the directions given by the apex court in the matter: * SC directs the secretary in the Union Health Sinistry to engage with the chief secretaries and directors general of police to ensure that the states and Union territories put in place certain basic minimum requirements for safety measures for doctors. * SC says the exercise of holding meetings should be completed within a week from Thursday. * SC says state governments shall take remedial and appropriate action given the exigencies of the situation within two weeks thereafter. * SC directs the National Task Force (NTF) to listen to the representatives of diverse stakeholders on the safety of healthcare professionals, including doctors. * SC says the views of the stakeholders, including interns, residents, senior residents, doctors and nurses, as well as of the para-medical staff would be taken into account by the NTF. * SC directs the secretary in the health ministry to launch a web portal on the ministry's website on which the doctors' associations and other stakeholders may submit their suggestions. * SC says peaceful protests should not be disturbed or disrupted and the State shall not take any precipitate action against the protesters. * SC clarifies that it has not injuncted the West Bengal government from exercising such lawful powers as are entrusted with it in terms of the law. *SC asks the protesting doctors to resume work and says in the meantime, no coercive step shall be taken against them. * SC says pending the submission of the NTF report, all states and Union territories shall be alert to any apprehended violations or breaches of safety in medical establishments.

The Supreme Court reiterated its appeal to the doctors protesting over the rape and killing of a Kolkata medic to resume work and directed no coercive action against them. The court said judges and doctors cannot go on a strike since they deal with matters involving life and liberty. "Justice and medicine cannot afford to be stopped. Can we (judges) go and sit outside the Supreme Court now?" the bench headed by Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud asked.