Doctors targeted

THE shooting of Dr Javed Akhtar at a Delhi hospital on Thursday, following the brutal rape and murder of a doctor in Kolkata in mid-August, raises an urgent question: how many more doctors on duty must be killed before the authorities take decisive action to ensure their safety? The medical profession, built on the fundamental principle of saving lives, is under siege. Doctors, who work tirelessly and selflessly, often in hazardous conditions, are becoming easy targets for violence. Whether it is the horrifying attack on Dr Akhtar, shot at point-blank range, or the brutal killing in Kolkata that sparked nationwide protests and strikes by doctors, the pattern is clear. A lack of adequate security measures in hospitals is leaving healthcare professionals vulnerable to targeted assaults.

The Supreme Court, while hearing the Kolkata case, expressed grave concerns over the West Bengal Government's slow progress in installing CCTV cameras and constructing basic facilities such as toilets and resting rooms. These are not new demands; they are essential security measures that should have been implemented long ago. The court even set a deadline of October 15 for the state to complete these improvements. Yet, progress remains sluggish.

Doctors continue to work under constant fear, forced to protest in the streets instead of focusing on their duties. How many more protests, strikes and loss of lives will it take for the authorities to realise the gravity of the situation? Medical associations across India have repeatedly called for stricter enforcement of safety protocols and enhanced security at hospitals, but these appeals have mostly gone unanswered. Every life lost under such circumstances is a tragic reminder of the failure to protect those who dedicate their lives to saving others. If the safety of doctors is not treated with the urgency it deserves, we risk losing more lives — of both patients and physicians.