Union Health Ministry issues Office Memorandum on National Task Force

The Union Health Ministry on Wednesday issued an Office Memorandum on the National Task Force following a Supreme Court order on Tuesday.


The 14-member Task Force features ex-officio members and experts. It includes Rajiv Gauba, Cabinet Secretary; Ajay Kumar Bhalla, Home Secretary; Dr BN Gangadhar, Chairperson, National Medical Commission; Anupriya Patel and Prataprao Ganpatrao Jadhav. Secretary and MoS Minitry of Health and Family Welfare; Dr. Abhijat Sheth, President, National Board of Examinations; Surgeon Vice Admiral Arti Sarin AVSM, VSM, Director General Medical Services (Navy); Dr Nageshwar Reddy, Chairman and MD, Asian Institute of Gastroenterolgy, and AIG Hospitals, Hyderabad; Dr M Srinivas, Director, All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Delhi; Dr Pratima Murthy Director, National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences (NIMHANS), Bengaluru; Dr Goverdhan Dutt, Executive Director, AIIMS, Jodhpur; Dr Saumitra Rawat, Chairperson, Inititute of Gastroenterolgy, GI and HPB Oncosurgery and Liver Tranplant and member, Board of Management, Shri Ganga Ram Hospital, New Delhi; Dr Anita Saxena, Vice Chancellor, Pandit BD Medical University; Dr Pallavi Saple, Dean Grant Medical College and Sir JJ Group of Hospitals, Mumbai; Dr Padma Srivatsava, Chairperson of Neurology, Paras Health, Gurugram.


Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud observed, "The Kolkata incident raises safety issues of doctors across the country."


"We are deeply concerned about the fact that the name, photo and video clip of the Kolkata rape victim were published all over India. The law prohibits publishing victims' names," the CJI said.

On August 9, a resident doctor was raped and murdered in RG Kar Hospital, Kolkata. The incident has prompted nationwide protests from doctors and healthcare workers.