Taking cognisance of incidents of attacks and assault on city doctors, the Delhi High Court served a notice to the Aam Aadmi Party-led Delhi government and Delhi Police this past week, asking them to state the steps taken to ensure the safety of doctors. The court also asked them to specify the action taken in each incident that had come to light.
“There are several instances were doctors were beaten and manhandled. Have you registered any FIR?” said the court of Chief Justice G. Rohini and Justice Jayant Nath during the hearing.
The directions were issued after a Public Interest Litigation was filed by the Indian Medical Association (Delhi North Zone). The petition stated that the government and police had failed to ensure the safety of doctors. It added that this was not just significant for the medical community, but also the public at large.
“If threat to doctors leads to their shortage in government hospitals, the public will be disadvantaged immensely. It is a matter of record that doctors were strained to go on strike in the past week for inaction on the part of the respondents in assuring their safety,” the petition stated.
A recent two-day strike by doctors from nearly 20 hospitals in the city had badly affected health services in the Capital. The protestors had various demands, including security for doctors.
