The Madhya Pradesh High Court has given the state government a two-week deadline to detail the steps it has taken to ensure the safety of doctors, following a directive to comply with the Supreme Court’s guidelines on the matter. The demand comes in response to concerns raised by the Madhya Pradesh Doctor Association, which presented a list of ten demands aimed at improving their working conditions and safety.
A bench consisting of Acting Chief Justice Sanjeev Sachdeva and Justice Vinay Saraf issued the directive, stressing the importance of implementing the Supreme Court’s instructions on such issues. The association’s plea highlighted the urgent need for enhanced security measures, reflecting growing concerns over the safety of healthcare professionals in the state.
The directive was a part of a broader discussion which also revisited a previous court order that had ended an indefinite strike by junior doctors in the state. The strike was initially called in protest of a distressing incident involving the rape and murder of a doctor in Kolkata, which had sparked nationwide protests by medical professionals demanding better security at their workplaces.
During the hearing, the court was informed that the Supreme Court had taken cognizance of the demands related to doctor safety and was already reviewing the matter. Senior advocates Sanjay Agrawal and Abhishek Pandey, along with advocate Mahendra Pateria representing the Doctor Association, presented the demands which include robust security measures and timely action on their concerns.
