You can't heal under fear: India's top court draws a line around its doctors

Three doctors were attacked inside a labour ward in Dombivli this July, by an elected corporator and three others. This week India's Supreme Court cancelled the attackers' bail and ordered all four to surrender by October 5. 'Any attempt to intimidate or assault medical professionals cannot be tolerated,' the justices wrote — because no doctor can make sound life-or-death judgments 'under the apprehension of physical violence.' The court also told Maharashtra to consider preventive-detention laws and witness protection for clinicians. It is a ruling that treats a doctor's safety not as a perk, but as a condition of your care.