Rajasthan Doctor Suicide: PIL in SC Seeks Guidelines for Protection of Doctors

Archana Sharma, a doctor in Rajasthan's Dausa, had died by suicide on 29 March after being charged with causing the death of a pregnant woman. 

(Photo: Altered by The Quint)

A Public Interest Litigation (PIL) was moved in the Supreme Court on Tuesday, 5 April, seeking guidelines for the protection of doctors in the wake of the death by suicide of a doctor in Rajasthan's Dausa on 29 March.

The petition was moved by the Indian Medical Association (Dwarka) .

The plea urged the court to order an inquiry by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) into the unfortunate demise of the doctor, Archana Sharma, who died by suicide after she was charged with causing the death of a pregnant woman during childbirth.

"CBI enquiry is needed in order to find out the actual perpetrators of the entire incident and bring them to justice to deter other such potential wrongdoers," the petition said, as per a report by ANI.

'Sharma's Death a Grim Reminder of Ugly Treatment of Doctors'

The petitioners also stated that the plea was moved due to continuous assaults meted out to treating doctors under the garb of medical negligence throughout the country.

It added that the death of Sharma was a grim reminder of the ugly treatment received by treating doctors and pressure to work under consistent fear of assault and harassment, even if there is a slight delay in a patient's recovery.

The petition further said that the police freely registers FIR's under criminal charges of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), including section 302 (Murder) against doctors in the country.

The plea also stated that the unfortunate death of Sharma had led to the spread of fear among doctors, sparking widespread protests against such condemnable incidents.

The doctors' body asked for the creation of a medico-legal cell in every police station in the country to look into incidents of medical negligence, adding that such cases must be handled with much-needed sensitivity to ensure that untoward incidents do not take place.

According to media reports, Dr Sharma was so disturbed by the murder charge that she took her own life. In her suicide note she said that she hoped her death would prove her innocence.

(With inputs from ANI.)