No adverse action will be taken but first return to work: SC tells protesting doctors

New Delhi, Aug 22 (IANS) Urging the medical professionals across the country to return to work, the Supreme Court on Thursday assured the resident doctors and interns that no adverse action will be taken against them for participating in protests in wake of the horrific incident at Kolkata's R.G. Kar Medical College and Hospital, where a junior doctor was raped and murdered earlier this month.

A bench headed by CJI DY Chandrachud asked the protesting medical community to return to work and assured that no adverse action will be taken against the doctors.

"Ask them first to return to work. Once they return to work, nobody is going to take adverse action against the doctors. Let them first come back to work and then, if there is any difficulty, we will make sure that no adverse action is taken against the doctors," said the Bench, also comprising Justices JB Padriwala and Manoj Misra, adding that "the poor people coming to hospital cannot be left behind in the lurch."

It said, "They (patients) take appointments two years back, and suddenly told that they will not be attended. Let all doctors resume work. Please rest assured that once the doctors resume duty, then we will prevail upon the authorities to not take any adverse action. How does public health infrastructure run if doctors will not resume work?"

During the hearing on suo moto case titled "Alleged rape and murder incident of a trainee doctor in R.G. Kar Medical College and Hospital, Kolkata, and related issues", the apex court was apprised that several punitive measures, including marking protesting doctors on leave, deduction of casual leaves, etc. were taken by administration of different hospitals across the country against the protesting doctors.

In an earlier hearing held on Tuesday, the CJI Chandrachud-led Bench urged doctors and medical professionals across the country to resume work at the earliest.

"Since this court is seized of the matter pertaining to the safety and well-being of all medical professionals at their workplaces, and the issue involving high national priority, we will request all the doctors, who are abstaining from work, to resume work at the earliest," it said, adding that medical community stand assured that their concerns are receiving the highest attention of the Supreme Court.

It ordered the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to file a status report detailing the status of the investigation within two days as well as the state government to file a status report in relation to the incident of vandalisation inside the hospital premises.

Meanwhile, the Centre on Wednesday issued an office memorandum constituting a National Task Force (NTF) under the chairmanship of the Union Cabinet Secretary in compliance with the apex court directive.

The NTF, which has been tasked to formulate effective recommendations relating to the safety, working conditions and well-being of medical professionals, will submit to the Supreme Court an interim report within three weeks and the final report within two months.

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