Question : Assault on Doctor

Will the Minister of HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE be pleased to state:

(a) whether Government has taken note of deadly assault on a doctor while on duty, if so, the details thereof;

(b) the reasons for growing violence against doctors and medical institutions by attendants and consulting patients along with corrective steps taken in this regard;

(c) whether the Indian Medical Association has requested the Governmen to enact a Central law to check violence against healthcare professionals;

(d) if so, the reaction of the Government thereto;

(e) whether Government have engaged private security personnel and posted them in hospitals to provide security to doctors;

(f) if so, the number of such private security personnel posted in different Government hospitals in the country; and

(g) the other steps taken to provide adequate security to doctors while on duty and avoid violence against them?

ANSWER
THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF HEALTH AND
FAMILY WELFARE
(SHRI ASHWINI KUMAR CHOUBEY)
(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.

Contd………


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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 doctors on duty, as under:

i. Security of sensitive hospitals to be managed by a designated and trained force,
ii. 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,
iv. Entry restriction for undesirable persons,
v. Institutional FIR against assaulters,
vi. Display of legislation protecting doctors in every hospital and police station,
vii. Appointment of Nodal Officer to monitor medical negligence,
viii. 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,
ix. 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.

(c) & (d): Yes. IMA has requested the Government to enact a Central Law to check violence against healthcare professionals. The Government is in agreement with their demand.

(e) to (g): No. 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.
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