New SOP Aims to Prevent Harassment of Medical Professionals
Jaipur: The Rajasthan government has introduced a new Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) requiring Superintendent of Police (SP) approval before arresting doctors in cases of alleged medical negligence.
Key Provisions of the SOP
- Even if a case is registered against a doctor, the concerned police station must obtain SP-level approval before making an arrest.
- If gross medical negligence is confirmed and arrest is deemed necessary, approval must be obtained from both the SP and Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP).
- Regular police patrolling of hospitals will be conducted to ensure security.
- In cases of violence against doctors, action must be taken against the accused within six hours of the hospital’s complaint.
- In the event of a patient’s death due to alleged negligence, the postmortem must be videographed, and the report registered at the police station.
Preventing Harassment and Ensuring Fair Investigation
The state government’s move follows repeated instances where relatives of patients filed criminal cases against doctors based on incomplete information, leading to mental harassment and damage to their professional reputation.
The SOP aims to balance accountability with fair legal procedures, ensuring that doctors are not unjustly arrested while also maintaining transparency in medical negligence investigations.
