National Federation of Resident Doctors Seeks Supreme Court Intervention Over Safety Concerns
The National Federation of Resident Doctors of AIIMS moved an intervention application in the Supreme Court highlighting the safety concerns of the resident doctors working at the facilities under AIIMS across the country. This comes after the suo motocognizance of an issue that involved the safety of healthcare professionals was taken by the Supreme Court following the tragic incident of a trainee doctor at the RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata.
Application for Intervention Details
By the instant application, the National Federation of Resident Doctors called upon the Supreme Court to take cognizance of its issues, stating that it stands much concerned with the safety of the Doctors about whom innumerable number of matters of this nature are being brought before this Court and continues to recur daily until appropriate recommendations are made by the so-called NTF, which hus recently put its foot in the light of doing everything possible as a flagship show of providing more and more protection and security to the public functionaries and other frontline health workers throughout the country.
It has been such a sad incident that has forced the Supreme Court to step in: the rape and murder of a trainee doctor has proved the urgency for an amelioration in safety protocols and mechanisms to be put into place for all healthcare professionals. But the protection of medical professionals and checking violence against medical professionals are the aims to be met with such intervention by the Supreme Court.
Representation and Advocacy
Advocate Tanvi Dubey, appearing for the National Federation of Resident Doctors of AIIMS in this case, brought out a limb of the application, mentioning that since the existence of resident doctors is very crucial in any hospital setting, they have a right to a safe working environment. It was submitted that the intrinsic dangers of the job actually demand that stringent safety measures are put in place for ensuring protection from violence and harassment.
National Federation of Resident Doctors of AIIMS has raised a few core issues pertaining to the same in its application. The federation had urged the apex court to order for provisional safety measures for doctors: higher security and better protection mechanisms at the medical facilities.
Permanent Solutions: They have also called for comprehensive recommendations by the National Task Force to address systemic safety issues and prevent health care workers.
Protection Rights: This application insists that they, as healthcare workers, only by the grace of their profession are entitled to a certain protection, which should be ensured with safe and effective safety protocols and measures in lieu of workplace safety.
Broader Context and Support
It is part of a larger movement in the medical fraternity, where the application for intervention has been moved by the National Federation of Resident Doctors of AIIMS seeking enhanced safety and protection for doctors. Other organizations, such as the United Doctors Front Association and the Federation of All India Medical Associations, have also knocked at the doors of the apex court raising similar concerns.
Through these organizations, it has been brought out that the increasing violence on healthcare workers and the bid for a holistic solution to the same is indicative of a systemic problem that needs to be urgently addressed. The manner in which the outcry has been raised through appeals to the judiciary only goes on to prove that there is a dire need for overhauling and serious stringency in the security arrangements in hospitals.
Role of the Supreme Court and Its Actions
The Supreme Court is much needed to intervene in this matter, bearing in mind the safety concern in regard to the people attending to patients suffering from COVID-19. Representing the National Task Force is another pro-active step the apex court has taken to study the issues at hand.
The task force will likely provide a set of recommendations that will bolster security and protection measures for healthcare workers. The intervention by the Supreme Court not only addressed the current concerns but also sought to set the roadmap for long-term improvements in safety.
Conclusion
The intervention application of the National Federation of Resident Doctors of AIIMS has laid stress on the imperative need to introduce and implement safety measures for health professionals. Indeed, this application reflects the greater concern of the medical fraternity at large over increasing threats against doctors and the indispensable mechanisms that would provide proper protection from such threats.
The application is now under the scrutiny before the Supreme Court with directives from the National Task Force. The Top Court is focused on the enforcement of short and long-term measures to ensure protection and safety to the health care workers. Representation from multiple associations of medical professionals sheds light on the joint effort towards highlighting issues of such grave concern for the protection of people who are at the forefront line in delivering care to patients.
Read more about related article, just click here
