India's top court sets up safety task force after doctor's rape and murder

FILE PHOTO: A doctor holds a banner during a protest demanding justice following the rape and murder of a trainee medic at a hospital in Kolkata, in New Delhi, India, August 19, 2024. REUTERS/Adnan Abidi/File Photo

NEW DELHI (Reuters) - India's Supreme Court created a hospital safety task force on Tuesday to recommend steps to ensure medical workers' safety, days after the rape and murder of a trainee doctor caused national outrage and protests by junior doctors.

The attack on Aug. 9 in the eastern city of Kolkata has triggered demands for justice for the victim and greater safety for women at hospitals, with doctors in several places refusing to see non-emergency patients.