In view of continued protests by doctors and medical professionals and as mandated by the Supreme Court, Health Ministry on Wednesday announced the formulation of a 14-member National Task Force (NTF). The task force will “formulate effective recommendations” that address concerns pertaining to safety, working conditions, and the well-being of medical professionals and other related matters.

The NTF shall prepare an action plan primarily under two heads, which include the prevention of violence against medical professionals (thereby providing safe working conditions) and the provision of a national protocol for dignified and safe working conditions for interns, residents, senior residents, doctors, nurses, and all other medical professionals. 

The terms of reference also mandate that the task force take action for the prevention of sexual violence against medical professionals. 

“The NTF shall submit an interim report within three weeks and the final report within two months from the date of the Order of the Hon’ble Supreme Court of India, dated 20/08/2024,” the order by the Union Health Ministry said. 

The Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act, 2013 applies to hospitals and nursing homes (including private health providers). In terms of the provisions of the Act, an Internal Complaints Committee must be constituted in all hospitals and nursing homes; the Union Health Ministry said, adding that the duties of an employer listed under Section 19 of the Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act, 2013 includes organizing sensitization programmes and providing a safe working space, which must be discharged. 

Every medical institution should have a helpline number for medical professionals, which is open 24/7, and provide emergency distress facilities.

The rape and murder of a doctor inside a premiere state-owned hospital in Kolkata earlier this month has sparked outrage in the country. Civil society and doctors have for nearly 10 days now been organising protests demanding punishment for the accused. The CBI is probing the rape and murder incident and is expected to submit a status report on its investigation tomorrow to the Supreme Court. The country’s Apex Court took suo motu cognisance of the matter following continuous protests in Kolkata and subsequent vandalism at the hospital where the incident occurred. 

Accordingly, the National Task Force has also been asked to suggest steps for ensuring due security in medical establishments that, including marking areas of hospital based on the degree of volatility and the possibility of violence. Mark out areas such as the emergency rooms and the Intensive Care Units that are prone to a greater degree of violence and may possibly need additional security. A baggage and person screening system at every entrance of the hospital to ensure that arms are not carried needs to be explored. Preventive steps also include stopping intoxicated persons from entering the premises of the medical establishment, unless they are patients, among others. 

The NTF is also raised with infrastructure development, which includes providing separate resting rooms and duty rooms in each department. 

The constitution of “Employees Safety Committees” composed of doctors, interns, residents, and nurses at every medical establishment to conduct quarterly audits on institutional safety measures, needs to be looked into. 

14-member task force

The task force will have 14 members and will be headed by the Cabinet Secretary. 

Other members include the Union Home Secretary; the Health Secretary; Chairperson, National Medical Commission; Chairperson Member Secretary; President, National Board of Examinations; Surgeon Vice Admiral Arti Sarin, AVSM, VSM, Director General Medical (Navy); Dr DNageshwar Reddy, Chairman and Managing Director, Asian Institute of Gastroenterology and AIG Hospitals, Hyderabad; Dr M Srinivas, Director, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, (AIIMS), Delhi; Dr Pratima Murthy, Director, National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences (NIMHANS), Bengaluru; Dr Goverdhan Dutt Puri, Executive Director, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Jodhpur; 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; Professor Anita Saxena, Vice-Chancellor, Pandit B D Sharma Medical University, Rohtak; Dr Pallavi Saple, Dean, Grant Medical College and Sir JJ Group of Hospitals, Mumbai, and Dr Padma Srivastava, formerly Professor at the Department of Neurology, AIIMS, Delhi (currently Chairperson of Neurology at Paras Health Gurugram). 

“The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare will provide logistical support, including making arrangements for travel, stay, and secretarial assistance, and bear the travel expenses and other related expenses of the members of the NTF,” the order reads. 

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