Kolkata doctor rape-murder: R.G. Kar victim’s justice key concern, charges of unfair practices in hospitals also serious, says Lawyers
The Hindu
Supreme Court forms National Task Force to ensure safety of healthcare professionals after doctor's rape and murder in Kolkata.
Justice for the rape and murder of a doctor in R.G. Kar Medical College and Hospital is the primary concern but the allegations that the practice of several students obtaining degrees in medicine through unfair means must not be lost sight of, according to lawyers.
They expressed optimism that the National Task Force (NTF) formed by the Supreme Court to formulate a protocol for ensuring the safety and security of doctors and other healthcare professionals will have far-reaching effects in the future.
The apex court is scheduled to hear a suo-motu petition on the matter during the day, a month after the on-duty medic was raped and murdered inside the state-run hospital on August 9. A civic volunteer was arrested by the police the next day in connection with the case which the Calcutta High Court later transferred to the CBI.
The gruesome rape and murder sparked nationwide outrage.
“I am optimistic and certain that something will come out of it,” former West Bengal Advocate General Jayanta Mitra told PTI.
Stating that the primary object is to ensure the safety of women and ensuring justice for the victim doctor, he said, “The biggest and most deep-rooted malady is the state of affairs in the field of medicine.” Mr. Mitra said that the question of allegations of some unscrupulous people obtaining degrees as doctors in some medical colleges in the state should not be lost sight of and must be taken care of.
“Who do you turn to if you feel that the person you are going to for treatment is an uneducated person who has passed the exam by paying money,” said Mr. Mitra, a barrister who had resigned as Bengal’s AG in 2017 after holding the position for a little over two years following differences of opinion with the state government over certain issues.