India’s Supreme Court has set up a national task force of doctors to advise on the safety of medical professionals, days after the brutal rape and murder of a trainee doctor sparked outrage and nationwide protests, Indian media reported.
The assault in the eastern city of Kolkata on August 9 sparked nationwide protests, with people demanding justice for the victim and more safety for women in hospitals, and doctors at several places refusing to admit non-emergency patients.
A volunteer policeman was arrested for the crime, and federal police took over the investigation. Public anger and protests over violence against women are reminiscent of events following the gang rape and murder of a 23-year-old student on a bus in New Delhi in 2012.
The Supreme Court, which took up the case on its own, directed the federal police to submit a progress report on the investigation on Thursday.
It also ordered the deployment of federal paramilitary forces to the hospital where the crime took place to ensure the safety of women doctors who complained that they did not feel safe after the crime and the ransacking of the hospital by unidentified men.
The court asked the task force to consider sweeping reforms, including security at medical facilities, separate rest rooms for female staff, adequate lighting within the hospital, video surveillance and the creation of teams of officers to conduct quarterly security checks.
Sexual violence against women is a widespread problem in India. According to the National Crime Records Bureau, the police registered 31,516 reports of rape in 2022, a 20 per cent increase from 2021.
