SC-appointed task force for doctors’ safety holds first meeting today, receives 400 suggestions

NEW DELHI: The first meeting of the National Task Force (NTF), established in compliance with the Supreme Court's directives, was held today, chaired by the cabinet secretary. The meeting was attended by all key members, including the home secretary and health secretary, who engaged in discussions on issues concerning the security of medical professionals across the country. During the first NTF meeting, it was decided to hold consultations with stakeholders to identify key issues requiring priority and develop a framework accordingly for addressing them.

The NTF was established to establish a protocol aimed at ensuring the safety and security of doctors and other healthcare professionals following nationwide protests led by doctors, which were sparked by the alleged rape and murder of a trainee doctor at Kolkata's RG Kar Medical College and Hospital .

Last week, the SC formed a 10-member task force after taking suo motu cognizance of the alleged rape and murder of a trainee doctor at the Kolkata hospital, an incident that triggered widespread protests by healthcare staff, disrupting medical services. During the meeting, the NTF members shared that they had received a significant number of inputs from various stakeholders, with each member individually receiving between 300 to 400 suggestions.

National portal for suggestions from stakeholders

To facilitate broader participation and gather more comprehensive feedback, the ministry of health has launched a national portal specifically designed to collect suggestions from individuals and stakeholders. The portal, accessible through the ministry of health’s official website (mohfw.gov.in), went live today under the title “Suggestions to NTF ” at serviceonline.gov.in/directApply.do?serviceId=2987. The suggestions submitted via this platform, along with those from major stakeholders, will be compiled by the Union Health Ministry for further review by the NTF.

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States to provide information on security measures

Additionally, state governments have been asked to provide detailed information on the security measures currently implemented in their medical institutions. For this purpose, a Google sheet has been distributed to all states, enabling them to submit their data.

Follow-up meeting to address short-term security measures

Looking ahead, a follow-up meeting is scheduled for tomorrow, August 28, via video conferencing. This meeting, co-chaired by the union home secretary and union health secretary, will focus on discussing immediate and short-term measures to enhance the security of medical professionals. State chief secretaries and Directors General of Police (DGPs) will be participating in the discussion.