Indian Medical Association Demands Special Central Law to Stop Attacks on Medical Staff

New Delhi: In a letter written to the Union Health Minister J P Nadda, the Indian Medical Association sought enactment of a special central law to curb attacks and violence against doctors as a “deterrence” measure, besides the declaration of hospitals as safe zones.

This IMA demand comes at a time when resident doctors at government hospitals across the country are holding protests and strikes over the recent rape and murder of a postgraduate trainee in Kolkata.

In 2019 a bill was drafted by the Health Ministry to check violence against doctors and other healthcare professionals. But it was held back as the Home Ministry stated that there was no need for a separate law in this regard.

The draft bill had provisions to punish people who assault on-duty doctors and other healthcare professionals by imposing a jail term of up to 10 years.

The doctors’ body also questioned why hospitals have not been declared safe zones while airports are safe zones with three-layer security.

The IMA demanded that hospitals across the country should be declared as safe zones.