IMA appeals to Modi over attacks on doctors

The IMA said that the Health Services Personnel and Clinical Establishments (Prohibition of Violence and Damage to Property) Bill, 2019, which seeks to punish people who assault on-duty doctors and other healthcare professionals need to be promulgated.

New Delhi: The Indian Medical Association (IMA) on Monday appealed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his personnel intervention to stop the violent incidents against doctors being reported across India. It has also appealed to Modi to take stringent action against any person who spreads misinformation against the vaccination drive.

The IMA has called for a national protest on June 18 in support of their demands. In a letter submitted to Prime Minister Modi, the IMA said that during the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic, the entire medical fraternity has been battling at the frontlines in the war against coronavirus and has been able to save millions of people from the clutches of severe Covid-19 infection and it has lost more than 1,400 of its proactive veterans.

“On behalf of the Indian Medical Association representing the collective consciousness of more than 3,00,000 front line warriors at the COVID-19 care front line, we express our gratitude for your exemplary leadership and altruism in this pandemic. The second wave of the pandemic has struck our country very severely and has made our people suffer,” the IMA said.

Read:|IMA urges action against misinformation on vaccination

“Amid this pandemic, we are also deeply hurt to see the increasing incidents of physical violence against the doctors and the health care professionals in this country. The brutal assault on our young doctor in Assam and the assault on lady doctors and even on veteran practitioners across the country - are causing mental trauma amongst the practitioners,” the IMA said.

Referring to the controversial statement made by Baba Ramdev, the IMA said that any person who spreads misinformation against the vaccination drive which is meant to fight the Covid-19 pandemic must be booked and punished under the relevant provisions of the Epidemic Diseases Act, 1897, the Indian Penal Code and the Disaster Management Act, 2005.

All such acts of omission and commission on behalf of any person raising doubts in the minds of the common public against the protocol guidance issued by the Ministry of Health for treatment of COVID-19 infected patients – ought to be suitably punished and simultaneously, any attempt of any person to fool the gullible public and promote so-called “magic remedies” or “wonder drugs” without the approval of the Ministry of Health, Government of India – ought to be immediately curtailed,” the IMA said.

The IMA further said that the Health Services Personnel and Clinical Establishments (Prohibition of Violence and Damage to Property) Bill, 2019, which seeks to punish people who assault on-duty doctors and other healthcare professionals by imposing a jail term of up to 10 years – which was dismissed by the Home Ministry during an inter-ministerial consultation over the draft law, ought to be promulgated immediately along with the incorporation of provisions from the IPC / CrPC and with stipulations for a fixed schedule for speedy conclusion of trials.

“All those involved in such heinous crimes ought to be punished to also create an effective deterrent for other antisocial elements who may indulge in attacking any health care professionals.” the IMA said.

Read:|646 doctors succumbed to Covid during 2nd wave: IMA

Stating that 754 doctors had lost their lives in the first wave of the pandemic, the IMA said that families of only 168 doctors have been able to apply under this Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Yojana scheme.

“IMA requests you to create an effective mechanism for identifying and verifying all these victims through the Central Bureau of Health Intelligence (CBHI) and also ensure that the support shall be given to all the said families as solatium at their doorsteps,” the IMA said.

It has also asked the government to promote universal free vaccination to all above 18 years of age without leaving the vaccines to the extent of 50 percent to the states and private hospitals. The IMA has also appealed to the Prime Minister to set up a separate research cell to study post-Covid-19 complications in detail and to come out with multi-faceted treatment guidelines in all disciplines of medicine.

Read:|HC issues summons to Ramdev on DMA plea for making statement against allopathic medicine