New Delhi: The union health minister Harsh Vardhan Saturday urged the chief ministers of all the states to protect the doctors from assaults and take strict action against any person who assaults doctors.
The union minister, in a letter to the chief ministers, has stated that states should also come up with laws to protect the doctors from such assaults.
Expressing deep concern over the recent act of violence against doctors, Harsh Verdhan has stated that incidents of assaults on doctors are reported from different parts of the country and this leads to sudden strike by doctors, gravely affecting the healthcare services.
“Resident doctors in many parts of the country are agitating and not providing healthcare services. Agitations by doctors in West Bengal seem to be getting aggravated and taking shape of strike by both government and private sector doctors, all over the country”, he wrote.
Representatives from the Indian Medical Association (IMA) and Delhi Medical Association (DMA) also called on Dr. Harsh Vardhan today.
“The Indian Medical Association (IMA) has raised this concern many a time. Since ‘Police’ and ‘Public Order’ are State subjects, Government of India, on many occasions has drawn attention of State Governments for an urgent need for a robust criminal justice system with emphasis on prevention and control of crime,”
Through his letter to the States, Dr. Harsh Vardhan has reminded the Chief Ministers and requested them to consider enacting specific legislation for protecting doctors and medical professionals, and has forwarded the Draft Act provided by IMA “the Protection of Medical Service Persons and Medical Service Institutions (Prevention of Violence and Damage or Loss of Property) Act, 2017.
The union health minister, while reviewing the situation Yesterday, had met a delegation of Resident Doctors Association of AIIMS, Safdarjung Hospital, Dr. Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital, United Resident & Doctors Association of India (URDA) and Federation of Resident Doctors Association (FORDA), who gave a representation to him on the violence against doctors in West Bengal. He had assured them his support and cooperation. The Union Health Minister has also written to the West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee yesterday in this matter.
