Following the horrifying act of sexual assault and killing of a young physician in a hospital in Kolkata, at least seventy physicians who have received the Padma award have petitioned Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his prompt action to guarantee justice. The medical community has been rocked by this horrific tragedy, which has brought attention to the urgent need for improved protection for healthcare professionals in India, especially women.
The doctors who have been awarded the Padma Prize, including well-known individuals like neurologist Dr. M V Padma Srivastava, former AIIMS director Dr. Randeep Guleria, radiologist Dr. Harsh Mahajan, and former director general of the ICMR Dr. Balram Bhargava, have all urged the Prime Minister to take action on this serious issue. In order to protect medical personnel from violence, their letter underlines how important it is to strengthen safety procedures and legal protections.
The letter provides a number of important suggestions for addressing the problem. In order to protect healthcare personnel, it urges the strict enforcement of current legal frameworks, demands more severe and time-limited penalties for those who commit sexual assault, and recommends improved safety protocols for hospitals and other medical facilities. The physicians emphasize how urgently a distinct law safeguarding healthcare workers needs to be enacted and put into effect. They draw attention to the fact that ‘The Prevention of Violence Against Doctors, Medical Professionals and Medical Institutions Bill,’ a draft law, has not yet been submitted in Parliament and has been pending since 2019. They think that in order to guarantee prompt legislative action, an ordinance could be issued right away and that the bill should be expedited.
In a related development, the Prime Minister has received a letter from the Indian Medical Association (IMA) requesting the creation of a national legislation to shield medical personnel from violence. The IMA has appealed for stricter security procedures in hospitals, arguing that they should match the level of security found in airports.
This coordinated effort by the IMA and the physicians who won the Padma awards highlights a crucial juncture for Indian healthcare professionals. A united cry for comprehensive reforms has been heard in response to the sad tragedy in Kolkata, which exposed weaknesses in the existing safety and legal frameworks. In addition to addressing the immediate consequences of this tragedy, the physicians’ plea seeks to implement long-term improvements that will ensure that similar instances do not occur and that healthcare workers may carry out their tasks without fear of violence.
SOURCE :
TIMES OF INDIA
