Supreme Court Declines Urgent Hearing of PIL On Doctors’ Safety,Security

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Tuesday declined an urgent hearing of a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) which sought safety and security of doctors, observing that the medicos have already called off their strike in West Bengal and other states. A vacation bench, comprising Justices Deepak Gupta and Surya Kant, said there was no urgency now in the case and it should be listed after the summer break before an appropriate bench.

Petitioner Alok Srivastava insisted the matter needed urgent attention, contending that effective measures have not been taken regarding doctors’ safety and security at government hospitals.

The court rebutted, saying: “We are not against doctors’ security but we cannot pass an order on it now.” Srivastava persisted on an urgent hearing on the matter and urged the court to issue a notice.

The court however, declined to entertain the matter, stating it cannot pass orders apprehending a situation.

“Tomorrow we pass an order nobody should be murdered?... We only pass orders which could be implemented,” it said.

The court said it was well aware that security of doctors was paramount, but it cannot pass an order at the cost of others. The counsel representing the Indian Medical Association (IMA) contended that doctors’ safety and security is an extremely important issue, and “we seek a central legislation on this matter, although some states have laws”.

The court replied: “We need a holistic view on the matter” and listed it for regular hearing.

A PIL was filed on June 14 seeking direction for the Centre and the West Bengal government to provide a secure environment for doctors to perform their duties. A junior doctor at NRS Hospital in Kolkata was attacked on June 10 by relatives of a patient who had died in the hospital, allegedly due to medical negligence, triggering protests by doctors in West Bengal. (IANS)

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