It is always shameful to read about plight of doctors roughed up by an irate mob and hospital property vandalised because of alleged medical negligence. And it is heart-wrenchingly painful to read about how innocent lives suffered as a consequence; as such incidents are inevitably followed by agitation by medicos in a show of solidarity. Who can forget that over 40 children died in an 11-day strike (triggered by an attack on one doctor) at Niloufer Children's Hospital in Andhra Pradesh, last year? Who can forget that Singhania Hospital in Thane (Maharashtra) had to shut down because a political heavyweight allegedly died due to medical negligence in the hospital?
Often the agitations by medicos go beyond the hospital, the district and have state-wide repercussion. And such massive agitation can never be resolved with threat of de-registering doctor— a path adopted by most state Governments, unfortunately.
Similar to Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Madhya Pradesh, the Maharashtra state cabinet has recently passed an ordinance making attacks against doctors a non-bailable offence with the offender facing up to three years in prison. The Maharashtra Medicare Service Persons and Medicare Service Institutions (Prevention of Violence and Damage of Property) Act, 2008, when passed would also levy a Rs 50,000 fine on anyone who attacks a doctor or a hospital employee. People indulging in vandalism of hospital property would now be penalised twice the value of the property that he or she has destroyed. The law would benefit not only doctors, but also nursing staff, interns, medical and nursing students and clerical staff.
I urge all of you to join this group and create a momentum so that concerned people sit and take notice to the plight of Doctors.
Please join us on ORKUT as well as Facebook Community of the name -
August 28 - 'Doctor-Patient Protection Day'
Often the agitations by medicos go beyond the hospital, the district and have state-wide repercussion. And such massive agitation can never be resolved with threat of de-registering doctor— a path adopted by most state Governments, unfortunately.
Similar to Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Madhya Pradesh, the Maharashtra state cabinet has recently passed an ordinance making attacks against doctors a non-bailable offence with the offender facing up to three years in prison. The Maharashtra Medicare Service Persons and Medicare Service Institutions (Prevention of Violence and Damage of Property) Act, 2008, when passed would also levy a Rs 50,000 fine on anyone who attacks a doctor or a hospital employee. People indulging in vandalism of hospital property would now be penalised twice the value of the property that he or she has destroyed. The law would benefit not only doctors, but also nursing staff, interns, medical and nursing students and clerical staff.
I urge all of you to join this group and create a momentum so that concerned people sit and take notice to the plight of Doctors.
Please join us on ORKUT as well as Facebook Community of the name -
August 28 - 'Doctor-Patient Protection Day'
Comments
Post a Comment