New Delhi: In response to a Supreme Court directive, the Union Health Ministry has established a 14-member National Task Force (NTF) to recommend measures for enhancing the safety, working conditions, and overall well-being of medical professionals across India.
The NTF, led by the Cabinet Secretary, was constituted following the Supreme Court’s order on August 20. According to an office memorandum issued by the ministry on Wednesday night, the task force is expected to submit an interim report within three weeks and a final report within two months from the date of the court order.
To support the NTF’s operations, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare will provide comprehensive logistical assistance, including travel arrangements, accommodation, and secretarial support, as well as cover all related expenses for the task force members.
The NTF’s mandate is to develop an action plan under two key areas: preventing violence against medical professionals and ensuring safe working conditions. The task force will also establish an enforceable national protocol to guarantee dignified and secure working conditions for all medical professionals, including interns, residents, senior residents, doctors, and nurses.
The term “medical professionals” as defined by the task force includes all healthcare workers, such as doctors, medical students undergoing their compulsory rotating medical internship (CRMI) as part of the MBBS program, resident doctors, senior resident doctors, and nurses, including nursing interns.
The NTF has the autonomy to make recommendations on all aspects of the action plan and address any additional issues that members deem necessary.
The Supreme Court’s intervention came after the tragic rape and murder of a woman doctor in a state-run hospital in Kolkata, which triggered nationwide protests among the medical community. In response, Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud emphasized the need for a national task force to develop uniform safety protocols across the country, ensuring that medical professionals can work in secure environments.
