The National Task Force (NTF), which was established by the Supreme Court, has received encouragement from the Indian Medical Association (IMA) to develop thorough procedures to guarantee the security of medical personnel. This call for action comes after a trainee doctor at Kolkata’s RG Kar Medical College and Hospital was brutally raped and killed, sparking outrage from medical professionals.
The Indian Medical Association (IMA) has reaffirmed in a letter to the National Police Force (NTF) its desire for a national legislation that addresses violence against doctors and hospitals. The IMA argues that this is important because healthcare facilities in India vary widely. The IMA cites a number of legislative documents, including a draft proposal for “The Healthcare Service Personnel and Clinical Establishments (Prohibition of Violence and Damage to Property) Bill, 2019,” as well as data from its study, “Safety During Night Duty: Survey of 3885 Doctors Across India,” to bolster its request. As the existing lack of such a legislation has resulted in insufficient police responses and ineffectual legal actions, the group argues that a central law is essential for establishing a deterrence against violence.
The IMA also supports the idea of designating hospitals as “safe zones,” which may be included in the proposed central regulation. Hospitals would need to take extra security precautions while still being patient- and culturally-sensitive environments. This would assist in preventing violent occurrences from happening to healthcare facilities’ employees.
The IMA letter also emphasizes the necessity of enhancing resident physicians’ living and working environments, pointing out long-standing problems that have not been sufficiently resolved in spite of numerous judicial and administrative interventions. According to the group, these adjustments are essential to guaranteeing improved working conditions for healthcare workers and reviving trust in the medical community.
The Indian Medical Association (IMA), which was founded in 1928, is the umbrella organization for a wide range of state, local, and medical college networks throughout India, with over 385,000 members. Under the direction of IMA, the medical community showed support on August 17 by ceasing operations, with the exception of emergency, in order to emphasize their demands.
In order to promote a safer and more encouraging environment for medical professionals throughout India, the IMA has written to the NTF proposing a central legislative framework to address violence against healthcare workers, designating hospitals as secure zones, and improving the circumstances for resident doctors.
SOURCE:
THE HINDU
