Health ministry issues Advisory to all States/UTs over assault on doctors

Answer of the Minister of State in the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (Shri Ashwini Kumar Choubey) Question No. 3253 for 12.07.2019 regarding “Assaults on Doctors”.

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New Delhi, July18, 2019 ;

“(a) & (b): Yes, incidents of strike by doctors because of alleged assault on doctors on duty in various parts of the Country have come to the notice of the Government.

As per Constitutional provisions, ‘Health’ and ‘Law & Order’ are State subjects. Therefore, the concerned State/UT Government are required to take measures to prevent such incidents under the appropriate legal framework applicable in the respective State/UT. Details of such cases is not maintained centrally.

(c): As per the information received from IMA, IMA had appealed for withdrawal of non essential services on 17th June, 2019 from 6:00 AM to 6:00 AM next day, as a token protest. The emergency services and critical services were unaffected.

(d) to (f): Union Ministry of Health & Family Welfare has issued an advisory to all States/UTs to consider immediate measures for inculcating an effective sense of security among the doctorson duty, as under:

Security of sensitive hospitals to be managed by a designated and trained force,
Installation of CCTV cameras and round the clock Quick Reaction Teams with effective communication/security gadgets particularly at Casualty, Emergency and areas having high footfalls, iii. Well-equipped centralized control room for monitoring and quick response,

iii. Entry restriction for undesirable persons,

Institutional FIR against assaulters,
Display of legislation protecting doctors in every hospital and police station,
Appointment of Nodal Officer to monitor medical negligence,

vii. Expeditious filling up of vacant posts of doctors and para medical staff in hospitals/Primary Health Centres to avoid excessive burden/pressure on doctors and to maintain global doctor-patient ratio,

viii. Better infrastructural facilities and medical equipment and provision of extra monetary incentive for the doctors and para medical staff serving in hard/remote areas as compared to major and metro cities with better career prospects, etc.

Government has constituted a Committee to examine various aspects of a uniform legislative framework to address the issue of assault on clinical establishments and doctors on duty.”

The above answer is in response to the Unstarred Question No. 3253 admitted by the Lok Sabha for 12.07.2019 regarding “Assaults on Doctors” raised by 10 MPs: Shri Prasun Banerjee; Shri Khagen Murmu; Shri Bhartruhari Mahtab; Shri Vinod Kumar Sonkar; Shri Syed Imtiaz Jaleel; Shri Rahul Ramesh Shewale; Dr. Sukanta Majumdar; Shri BB Patil; Shri Asaduddin Owaisi; Shri Raja Amareshwara Naik.

Will the Minister of Health and Family Welfare be pleased to state:

whether assaults on doctors and hospital staff have been reported in various Government hospitals across the country including recent incidents in West Bengal;
if so, the details of such cases reported during the last three years, hospital and State/UT-wise;
whether Indian Medical Association (TMA) has directed all its States the members to stage protests against such attack on doctors across the country which led to the shutdown of OPD, Emergency services which resulted into death of patients, if so, the details thereof;
whether the Government has implemented the recommendations of the Inter-Ministerial Committee constituted in the Ministry to review various issues including issue of assaulton doctors, if so, the derails thereof;
whether there is urgent need for a specific legislation to protect doctors/health professionals; and
if so, the preventive steps taken/ being taken by the Government in this regard

Author : Dr KK Aggarwal, Padma Shri Awardee