New Delhi: A delegation of the Indian Medical Association (IMA) on Friday met with Union Cabinet Secretary T V Somanathan and apprised him of the importance of bringing a central Act to check violence on medical professionals at their workplace. IMA national president Dr R V Asokan and national vice-president Dr Shivkumar Utture met with Somanathan at the Rashtrapathi Bhavan.
The cabinet secretary presides over the National Task Force which is tasked to formulate a protocol for ensuring the safety and security of doctors and other healthcare professionals.
Both Asokan and Utture also attended a subgroup meeting of the National Task Force at the Nirman Bhavan, according to an internal communication of the IMA.
The IMA is learnt to have put forward its recommendations for improving the working conditions of healthcare professionals.
Liaison teams are meeting various members of the National Task Force.
The IMA has filed an interlocutory application in the Supreme Court in the RG Kar hospital rape-murder case, the internal communication said.
“All the state and local branches are requested to continue the liaison process with the MPs for the Central Act on Violence,” it said.
The IMA members also submitted documents mentioning their demands which it had earlier sent to the NTF.
It had earlier written to the National Task Force, reiterating its demand for a central law on violence against doctors and hospitals and declaring hospitals as safe zones.
The NTF was constituted by the apex court in the wake of protests by doctors and healthcare professionals following the alleged rape and murder of a trainee doctor at the state-run medical college and hospital in Kolkata.
Giving justification for a central Act on violence against doctors and hospitals, the IMA had submitted its study ‘Safety During Night Duty: Survey of 3885 Doctors Across India”, its draft proposal for the central Act, a draft legislation — “The Healthcare Service Personnel and Clinical Establishments (Prohibition of violence and damage to property) Bill, 2019”, the Epidemic Diseases (Amendment) Act, September 2020, among others as annexures.
The IMA had said that, unlike other measures, a strong central law would prevent violence across all sectors, especially the small and medium ones. It will serve as an enabling Act for state legislation.
Secondly, for its demand for declaring hospitals as safe zones, the IMA had said that the concept of safe zones could be embedded in the proposed law as well.
“Declaration as a safe zone entitles the hospitals with security entitlements. These security entitlements however should be tempered with patient friendly nature and cultural sensitivity,” it had said.
It has also demanded that the working and living conditions of resident doctors should be improved.
