Union Health Ministry’s Initiative for Healthcare Worker Safety: Committee Establishment and Nationwide Collaboration

The Union health ministry announced its plan to establish a committee dedicated to proposing comprehensive safety measures for healthcare professionals. It called upon protesting doctors involved in the case of a trainee doctor at R.G. Kar Hospital in Kolkata to return to their duties. The Indian Medical Association (IMA) appealed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi for assistance in enacting a national law to prevent violence in hospitals. Following discussions with various medical associations in Delhi after the Kolkata incident, the Union health minister pledged to form a committee to recommend strategies for safeguarding healthcare workers. The ministry specified that input from all stakeholders, including state governments, would be sought. Additionally, it noted that 26 states have already enacted laws to protect healthcare workers. Junior doctors expressed their grievances through slogans and placards during their demonstration.