The Supreme Court on Tuesday deferred the hearing on a plea seeking protection of doctors in government hospitals, saying since doctors have called off their strike in Bengal and other states, there is no urgency to hear the matter.

A bench of Justices Deepak Gupta and Surya Kant said it will not issue notice (to the Union government) but is keeping the larger issue of protection of doctors open.

'We agreed to hear the plea today as there was a strike by doctors and medical fraternity in West Bengal and other states. The strike has been called off and there appears no urgency to hear the petition. List (the matter) before an appropriate bench,' it said.

Meanwhile, the Indian Medical Association also filed an impleading application seeking the court's intervention into the plea already filed, saying protection needs to be provided to doctors across the country.

The bench said it needs to take a holistic view in providing security to doctors.

'We can't protect doctors at the cost of other citizens. We have to look at the larger picture. We are not against the protection given to doctors,' the bench said.