Apex court-appointed task force holds first meeting

The first meeting of the National Task Force (NTF) constituted by the Supreme Court to formulate a protocol for the safety and security of healthcare professionals met for the first time on Tuesday under the chairmanship of the Cabinet Secretary. All members of the 10-member NTF panel including the Home Secretary and Health Secretary were present at the meeting.

The 10-member task force was constituted after the apex court last week took suo motu cognizance of the alleged rape and murder of a female resident doctor in Kolkata which triggered nationwide protests with resident doctors in most government-run hospitals going on strike. The mandate of the task force is to ensure a comprehensive approach to address the crisis look at effective coordination with state governments and oversee the implementation of the recommendations made by the task force.

There was elaborate and detailed discussion on various issues by the NTF members. The members also put forth their suggestions. The members informed that they have been approached directly by various stakeholders and have individually received almost 300 to 400 suggestions. 

During the meeting, the states were asked to provide information on the security measures available in medical institutions in the state. The members have decided to hold wider consultations with stakeholders to identify issues that need prioritisation and draft a framework to address them. NTF will also hold the next meeting to discuss short-term measures regarding the security of medical professionals with State Chief Secretaries and DGPs.

In a communiqué, the Health Ministry said, a national portal has been created by the Health Ministry under the title “Suggestions to NTF” for seeking suggestions from individuals and different stakeholders across the country. It is operational as of today. Suggestions of major stakeholders and those received on the portal will be collated by the Union Health Ministry for further consideration of NTF members, the communiqué added.