The Supreme Court on Thursday appealed to all the doctors who have gone on strike to return to work immediately, saying their abstention is adversely affecting people who need urgent treatment in the healthcare services. The bench headed by Chief Justice DY Chandrachud assured the doctors that once they return to work, the top court will ensure that no punitive action is taken against them. Hundreds of thousands of patients across India, mostly from the poorer sections of society, are facing problems due to the disruption of OPD services and surgeries in government hospitals. On Friday, the lawyer on behalf of the resident doctors requested the court to give the doctors representation in the National Task Force, but the Chief Justice said this would render the task force inoperative, but assured that their demands would be heard by the task force.
The Chief Justice said, “We are deeply concerned about the inhuman working hours like 36- or 48-hour shifts for doctors and the task force would also look into the possibility of rationalising the working hours of all doctors.” I think all the doctors who are protesting should heed the Supreme Court’s appeal and return to work immediately. As far as the rape and murder case of a doctor from Kolkata is concerned, the apex court today heard in detail how the state machinery in West Bengal tried to cover up the heinous act by deliberately tampering with the crime scene. Naturally, in such heinous crimes, when people come to know that vital evidence related to the crime was destroyed to protect the culprits, the anger of doctors and the general public mounts. An innocent girl, who was struggling to earn glory in medicine, was gang-raped and brutally murdered and the doctors were justified in coming out on the streets to stage protests. Doctors and the general public are also angry that the main accused and other suspects are not cooperating with investigators and trying to obfuscate when answering questions.
Meanwhile, the Kolkata police is playing a new game by filing charges against the former principal of the medical college, Dr Sandip Ghosh. The Kolkata police are likely to try to get custody of Dr Ghosh from the CBI. Questions are still being raised as to who sent the violent mob to destroy evidence inside the hospital on the midnight of August 14. This is still shrouded in mystery. I commend the doctors who showed unity in bringing this matter to the national spotlight, but, considering the problems of lakhs of patients, now is the time for them to hear the court’s appeal and get back to work. The sooner, the better.
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