The Supreme Court on Thursday appealed to all agitating doctors to return to work immediately saying that their abstention from work is adversely affecting people who need urgent treatment in healthcare services. The bench presided by Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud assured the doctors that once they rejoin duty, the apex court would ensure that no punitive action is taken against them. Lakhs of patients across India, mostly from poorer sections of society, are facing woes due to the stoppage of OPD services and surgeries in government hospitals. On Friday, the advocate on behalf of resident doctors requested the court that doctors should be given representation in the National Task Force, but the Chief Justice said this would make the task force unworkable, but he assured that their demands would be heard by the task force.
The Chief Justice said, “We are deeply concerned about inhuman working hours, like 36 or 48-hour shifts for doctors, and the task force would also look into streamlining the duty hours of all doctors.” I think all agitating doctors should heed to the appeal of the Supreme Court and return to work immediately. As far as the Kolkata medic rape-murder case is concerned, the apex court today heard in detail about how the state machinery in West Bengal tried to cover up the gruesome act due to deliberate tampering with the crime scene. Naturally, in such gruesome crimes, when people come to know that vital evidence relating to the crime was destroyed to shield the culprits, the anger of doctors and of the common public grows. An innocent girl, striving to earn laurels in medicine, was gangraped and murdered brutally, and the doctors were justified in going to the streets to stage protests. Doctors and the common public are also angry over the main accused and other suspects not cooperating with the investigators and trying to obfuscate while replying to questions.
Meanwhile, Kolkata Police is playing a new game by filing cases against the ex-principal of the medical college Dr Sandip Ghosh. There is likelihood of Kolkata Police trying to secure custody of Dr Ghosh from CBI. Questions are still being raised about who sent the violent mob to destroy evidence inside the hospital on August 14 midnight. This is still shrouded in mystery. I commend the doctors who displayed unity in bringing this issue to the national limelight, but, considering the woes of lakhs of patients, it is now time for them to heed the court’s appeal and return to work. The sooner, the better.
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