The Supreme Court on Tuesday concluded its suo-motu hearing on the rape and murder of a doctor at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital. Still, no explicit timeline was set for junior doctors to resume their duties.
Representing the doctors, senior advocate Indira Jaising argued that a definite return date could not be provided until a general body meeting with the doctors' association took place. Senior advocate Kapil Sibal, appearing for the state government, had sought clarity on when the protesting doctors would return to work.
During the hearing, Jaising submitted to the bench, headed by Chief Justice of India (CJI) DY Chandrachud, that the doctors' protest stemmed from the continued presence of individuals allegedly responsible for covering up the incident. She contended that these individuals’ presence at the hospital was a key reason for the ongoing unrest among the medical staff. However, CJI Chandrachud remarked that the court could not issue any directives regarding their removal, as their alleged involvement was still being investigated by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).
The junior doctors have made several demands, including the formation of a broad-based monitoring committee in every hospital, which would include administration, academics, nurses, and other healthcare staff. They also called for the establishment of a confidential grievance redressal system to address the concerns of students and doctors, along with the formation of internal complaint committees as per the Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace Act, 2013.
Additionally, the protesting doctors have requested the setup of counselling centres in hospitals staffed with qualified professionals, particularly from the psychiatric and psychology departments, to address the stress faced by doctors during their duties.