New Delhi: The IMA has demanded a central law on violence against doctors and hospitals and declaring hospitals as safe zones.to the National Task Force (NTF). The NTF has been mandated to formulate protocol for ensuring safety and security of healthcare professionals. The IMA letter said that the Supreme Court has constituted the NTF to evolve a national consensus and to formulate protocols with due consultation of all stakeholders.
The letter firstly demanded and justified for a central act on violence on doctors and hospitals, the IMA submitted its study ‘Safety During Night Duty: Survey of 3885 doctors across India”, its draft proposal for Central Act, draft legislation – “The Healthcare Service Personnel and Clinical Establishments (Prohibition of violence and damage to property) Bill, 2019”, the Epidemic Diseases (Amendment) Act September 2020 among others as annexures. Justifying the demand for a central act, the IMA in its letter said that healthcare facilities vary in nature both infrastructure wise and human resources wise. “The only preventive strategy that could be applied across the board and across all the states is deterrent central law in statute. Absence of such law has resulted in half-hearted actions by the police and less that optimum investigations and prosecution of the incidence,” it said. Reasoning that deterrence is the best form of prevention, the IMA said that unlike other measures, a strong central law will prevent violence across all sectors especially the small and medium ones. It will serve as an enabling Act to the state legislations.
The letter secondly demanded for declaring hospitals as safe zones, the IMA said the concept of safe zones could be embedded in the proposed law as well. “Declaration as safe zone entitles the hospitals with security entitlements. These security entitlements however should be tempered with patient friendly nature and cultural sensitivity,” it said.
Finally the letter demanded improving the working and living conditions of the resident doctors.
The letter said that ever since the resident system was created, there have been administrative and judiciary pronouncements. “Yet few things have changed on the ground.” The IMA letter said that “We the medical profession of India expect the National Task Force to live up to our expectations and instill confidence into the minds of the demoralised doctor community.”
