IMA again demands central law on violence against doctors, hospitals

Indian Medical Association (IMA) urges National Task Force (NTF) for central law on violence against doctors and hospitals, and safe zones.

The Indian Medical Association (IMA) has written to the National Task Force (NTF), which has been mandated to formulate a protocol for ensuring the safety and security of healthcare professionals, again demanding a central law on violence against doctors and hospitals and declaring hospitals as safe zones.

Stating that the Supreme Court has constituted the NTF to evolve a national consensus and to formulate protocols with due consultation of all stakeholders, IMA in its letter formulated its submission in three sections.

The NTF was constituted the apex court in the wake of protests by doctors and healthcare professionals following the recent rape and murder of a trainee woman doctor at the state-run RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata.

Firstly, putting forth its demand and justification 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.

Also Read: Do we need a Central law for protection of healthcare professionals?

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.