India's Supreme Court on Tuesday ordered the setting up of a task force to examine how to strengthen the security of health workers in the country after the rape and murder of a doctor sparked strikes and protests.
The discovery of the bloody body of this 31-year-old doctor on August 9 in a public hospital in Calcutta (east) has sparked indignation across this country which has a chronic problem of violence against women.
"The brutality of the sexual assault and the nature of the crime have shocked the conscience of the nation," the Indian Supreme Court said in its judgment, describing the facts as "horrific".
Chief Justice DY Chandrachud ordered the formation of a "national task force" of doctors to prepare a plan to prevent violence in health facilities and develop a "national protocol".
"With little or no protection systems to ensure their safety, health professionals have become vulnerable" to the risks of violence, including sexual violence, the Court notes, citing "a matter of serious concern".
The doctor killed in Calcutta was found in the seminar room of the hospital, suggesting she had gone there to rest during a 36-hour shift. Her parents suspect gang rape.
Following the murder, associations of doctors in public hospitals launched strikes that led to the shutdown of non-essential care in many cities.
Tens of thousands of Indians joined the protests to demand action. A new demonstration took place in Calcutta on Tuesday to demand "justice."