The government will form a committee to suggest measures for ensuring safety of healthcare professionals, the Union health ministry said on Saturday, amid protests by several medical associations across the country over the brutal rape and murder of a 31-year-old trainee doctor at a hospital in Kolkata.
The committee will consult with all stakeholders, including state governments, seeking suggestions for a concrete solution, the ministry said.
“In view of the concerns expressed by the associations, the ministry assured them of constituting a committee to suggest all such possible measures for ensuring the safety of healthcare professionals. Representatives of all stakeholders, including the state governments, will be invited to share their suggestions with the committee,” a statement from the ministry said.
Representatives of the Federation of Resident Doctors’ Association (FORDA), Indian Medical Association (IMA) and resident doctors’ associations of government medical colleges and hospitals of Delhi met Union health minister JP Nadda in the wake of the Kolkata incident.
The associations have put forth their demands regarding the safety and security of healthcare workers at their workplaces, the ministry said in a statement.
The ministry has heard the demands and assured the doctors’ associations of all possible efforts to ensure the security of healthcare professionals. The representatives of the associations were informed that the government is well aware of the situation and sensitive to their demands, the statement said.
According to the health ministry, 26 states have already passed legislation for protection of health care workers in their respective states.
The health ministry also requested the agitating doctors to resume their duties as early as possible. “The ministry requested the agitating doctors to resume their duties in the larger public interest and in view of the rising cases of dengue and malaria,” the statement said.
The nationwide protests erupted soon after the body of the trainee doctor was found in a seminar hall of the RG Kar hospital in Kolkata on the morning of August 9. A 31-year-old civic volunteer has been arrested in the case, while the Central Bureau of Investigation is probing the case.
“The response is overwhelming from every corner of the country. Doctors stand united against this injustice. The protest is there, taking care of the emergency services and the casualties. The medical profession has stood united across the country. Across all the sectors whether it’s private, government, or corporate doctors are in protest. We are paying international attention to this issue because this involves the issue of the safety of women,” said RV Asokan, national president, Indian Medical Association.
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