Supreme Court to hear plea for safety, security of doctors at govt hospitals tomorrow

The plea was filed on Friday in the wake of protests by doctors in West Bengal against assault on their colleagues by the family of a patient, who died on Monday night.

The Supreme Court on Monday said it will hear on June 18 a plea seeking safety and security of doctors in government hospitals across the country.

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Monday said it will hear on June 18 a plea seeking safety and security of doctors in government hospitals across the country. A vacation bench of Justices Deepak Gupta and Surya Kant agreed to list the matter for Tuesday after the counsel appearing for the petitioner, advocate Alakh Alok Srivastava, sought urgent hearing. The plea was filed on Friday in the wake of protests by doctors in West Bengal against assault on their colleagues by the family of a patient, who died on Monday night. The petition has also sought directions to Union ministries of home affairs and health and West Bengal to depute government-appointed security personnel at all state-run hospitals across the country to ensure safety and security of doctors. Due to the protests, the healthcare services in the country have been badly disrupted and many people are dying because of absence of doctors, the plea said. Meanwhile, the healthcare services at government and private hospitals in the national capital will be hit on Monday as scores of doctors, including those at AIIMS, have decided to boycott work for a day in support of their striking colleagues in West Bengal. Resident Doctors' Association of the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in Delhi, which earlier decided not to join the strike, announced withdrawal of all nonessential services from noon after a junior doctor at its trauma centre was assaulted in the early hours of Monday. The medico at the Jai Prakash Narayan Apex Trauma Centre was allegedly assaulted for "giving preferential care to a critical patient", the RDA said in a statement. Doctors of the AIIMS also held a protest march in the campus between 8 am and 9 am. "We once again urge the West Bengal administration to fulfil the demands of the striking doctors and resolve the matter amicably at the earliest in the best interest of the general public," a statement issued by the RDA said, adding a meeting of its general body will be held at 6 pm to decide the further course of action.