IMA calls for central law to protect doctors, demands that hospitals be declared safe zones – News from India

The Indian Medical Association (IMA) has again written a letter to the National Task Force (NTF) tasked with developing protocols to ensure safety of healthcare workers, reiterating its demand for a central law against violence against doctors and hospitals and for declaring hospitals as containment zones.

The IMA noted that the Supreme Court had appointed the NTF to create national consensus and prepare protocols in consultation with all relevant stakeholders. The association's application was divided into three sections.

The NTF was set up by the Supreme Court in response to protests by doctors and medical staff following the recent rape and murder of a trainee doctor at the government-run RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata.

“The only prevention strategy that could be applied across the board and in all states would be a deterrent central law. The absence of such a law has led to half-hearted police action and less than optimal investigations and prosecutions of incidents,” it said.

Arguing that deterrence is the best form of prevention, the IMA said that unlike other measures, a strong central law will prevent violence in all sectors, especially small and medium ones. It will act as an enabling law for the state legislatures. Secondly, the IMA said that the concept of containment zones can also be embedded in the proposed law, referring to its demand to declare hospitals as containment zones.

“The declaration of a security zone gives hospitals security expectations. However, these security expectations should be tempered with patient-friendly nature and cultural sensitivity,” it said.

Thirdly, the IMA pushed for improvements in the working and living conditions of junior doctors. It pointed out that there had been numerous administrative and judicial opinions since the junior doctor system was introduced.
“But little has changed on the ground,” it was said.

“We, the medical fraternity of India, expect the National Task Force to live up to our expectations and instill confidence in the demoralised medical fraternity,” the doctors' association said in its letter.

The IMA further pointed out that it is the national organisation for doctors practicing modern medicine. It was founded in 1928 and played a role in the country's freedom struggle. Its headquarters is in New Delhi. The association has a presence in almost all districts of the country, with 1,800 local branches, 28 state branches and 385,000 members. The IMA is also present in all medical colleges of the country through its Junior Doctors Network and Medical Students Network, the letter mentioned.

The letter also pointed out that the entire medical fraternity of India had responded to the IMA's call by suspending all services except emergency and trauma treatment on August 17.