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Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. (PTI file photo)
The IMA, which suspended non-emergency services nationwide for 24 hours from 6am on Saturday, wrote to the Prime Minister setting out five demands
The Indian Medical Association on Saturday sought the “benign intervention” of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to bring in a central law to curb violence against healthcare workers and declare hospitals as safe zones and give them mandatory security.
This is one of the demands made by India’s top doctors’ body following the rape and murder of a medical staff member at the state-run Kolkata Royal Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata and the subsequent vandalism of the hospital.
The Indian Medical Association (IMA), which has suspended non-emergency services across the country for 24 hours from 6 am on Saturday, has written to the Prime Minister with five demands.
The Indian Medical Association said in a statement that all essential services have been maintained and casualty wards have been staffed.
The report added: “The victims’ 36-hour shifts and lack of safe resting spaces and adequate toilets call for a complete overhaul of the residents’ working and living conditions.”
It also called for hospitals to be declared safe zones, with mandatory security as the first step.
“The safety protocols in hospitals should not be less than those in airports. Declaring hospitals as safe zones and enforcing safety measures is the first step. This can be followed by installing CCTV cameras, deploying security personnel and following protocols,” the IMA said.
It demanded a Centre Bill to incorporate the 2020 amendments to the Epidemic Diseases Act, 1897 into the draft Health Care Workers and Clinical Establishments (Prohibition of Violence and Damage to Property) Bill, 2019, saying it would strengthen the existing 25 state legislations.
The doctors’ body also called for a meticulous and professional investigation of the crime within a stipulated time and for justice to be delivered while those involved in the vandalism should be identified and exemplary punishment given to those involved.
IMA mentioned that on August 15, a large group of people carried out sabotage and various parts of the facility were destroyed, including the place where the victims were found.
It also seeks adequate and dignified compensation to the families of the victims.
Doctors, especially women doctors, are vulnerable to violence due to the nature of their profession. The IMA said it is the responsibility of the authorities to ensure the safety of doctors in hospitals and campuses.
“The RG Kar incident highlights two dimensions of hospital violence: brutal crime due to lack of safe space and hooliganism due to lack of organised security protocols. The crime and vandalism shocked the conscience of the nation,” it said.
IMA said doctors in several hospitals across the country have stopped providing non-essential services and are only providing emergency and ambulance services.
It also appreciated the Prime Minister’s remarks on women’s safety in his Independence Day speech.
“We urge you to adopt gentle intervention measures at this stage. This will bring confidence not only to women doctors but to every woman in the workplace,” the doctors’ association said.
The Indian Medical Association says 60% of doctors are women.
In dentistry, the figure was as high as 68 per cent, in physiotherapy it was 75 per cent and in nursing it was 85 per cent. It added that all healthcare workers should enjoy a peaceful atmosphere, safety and security in their workplace.
“We appeal to you to intervene gently to ensure that appropriate measures are taken to meet our demands,” the IMA said.
(This article has not been edited by News18 staff and is published from United News Agency – Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf）
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