Union Home Secretary, Health Secretary co-chair meeting with State DGPS, chief secretaries on steps taken for safety of doctors

Centre officials hold virtual meeting with State governments and Union Territories to address doctors' safety concerns at workplaces.

Aimed at ensuring that measures are put in place by the State governments and Union Territories to address the concerns of doctors over their safety at their workplaces, officials at the Centre held a virtual meeting on Wednesday with chief secretaries and DGPs of States.

The Health Ministry has also written to all stakeholders asking them to immediately look into the issue.

In another major development, the Indian Medical Association (IMA) on Wednesday suspended the membership of former R.G. Kar Medical College and Hospital principal Sandip Ghosh, amid a CBI probe into the alleged rape and murder of a junior doctor at the Kolkata-based institute earlier this month.

The Association noted that IMA Bengal State branch as well as certain associations of doctors also have demanded action citing the nature of disrepute brought by Mr. Ghosh to the profession. “The disciplinary committee of IMA HQs has unanimously decided to suspend you forthwith from the membership of Indian Medical Association,” the letter said.

Union Home Secretary Govind Mohan and Union Health Secretary Apurva Chandra co-chaired the virtual meeting held with the State DGPs and chief secretaries.

The Centre’s directions came after the Supreme Court, while hearing the rape-murder case of the junior doctor in Kolkata, ordered the Union health secretary to ensure states have basic measures in place to assuage doctors’ concern over safety at workplaces till the court-appointed National Task Force (NTF) formulates a protocol.

The incident at the R G Kar Medical College and Hospital earlier this month triggered nationwide protests by resident doctors to press for a Central law for the security of health professionals at their workplaces and justice for their peer.