The Supreme Court, on Tuesday, ordered the creation of a 10-member National Task Force (NTF) to address the safety of doctors in India. The decision comes amid national outrage following the tragic rape and murder of a postgraduate trainee doctor at RG Kar Medical College in Kolkata, sparking protests across the country.

Led by Chief Justice DY Chandrachud, the bench emphasized the serious concern over the lack of institutional safety measures at medical facilities, which have left medical professionals vulnerable to both physical and sexual violence. While existing laws offer some protection to healthcare workers, the bench noted that these do not sufficiently address the deeper systemic issues in the sector.

The NTF will include high-ranking medical professionals and experts, such as Vice Admiral Arti Sarin, Director General of Medical Services (Navy), and Dr. M Srinivas, Director of AIIMS Delhi, among others. The task force has been assigned two primary objectives: preventing violence, including gender-based violence, against medical professionals, and creating a national protocol that ensures safe and dignified working conditions for all healthcare workers, from interns to senior doctors.

Under the Union Health Ministry's supervision, the NTF is expected to submit an interim report within three weeks, followed by a final report within two months of the Supreme Court's directive. The Union Government will then compile and submit the data, along with an affidavit, within a month of the order.