In Brief
On August 9, 2024, a 31-year-old female doctor at RG Kar Medical College Hospital, Kolkata was murdered and allegedly raped during her 36-hour duty shift. Writ petitions sought investigation and inquiry into hospital authorities' conduct. The Supreme Court found systemic failures in institutional safety across healthcare establishments, including inadequate security, absent duty rooms, unrestricted access, poor lighting, and insufficient CCTV. The Court constituted a National Task Force to formulate recommendations on workplace safety, security protocols, working conditions, and sexual harassment prevention. State and Central Governments were directed to collate hospital safety data. The investigation was transferred to the CBI with status reports requested by August 22, 2024.
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