 "Dr, R V Asokan, Asokan")
Asokan highlighted the need for a new set of laws, strengthening of infrastructure and security deployment at hospitals. | Photo: PTI
The health ministry’s decision to form a panel for deliberating on a central law to protect healthcare workers is “too little and too late” as it just needs political will to bring a legislation on the matter, IMA chief Dr R V Asokan said on Friday.
As resident doctors across the country held protests over the alleged rape and killing of a trainee women doctor in a state-run medical college and hospital in Kolkata, demanding a central law to protect them, Asokan told PTI that the government is reluctant to acknowledge that there is violence against doctors and hospitals.
“But you cannot run away from the reality,” he said.
There is a draft bill that was prepared in 2019 after stakeholders’ consultation but it never went to Parliament, he pointed out.
“There is a thinking in the government to refer it to an expert committee to look at the possibility of a bill, but that will be too little and too late. Because, everything is in place. It only needs political will to push the button,” Asokan said.
He cited the example of how during the Covid-19 pandemic, the Epidemic Diseases Act, 1897 was amended by an ordinance and the amended Act was brought out within 24 hours. Parliament later passed it in 2023.
“We met the health minister recently. We told him that in the medical profession, the percentage of women is around 60 and it is bound to grow. It is our moral duty to protect them. I have total trust in the health minister, who is extremely sensitive to the situation. The political will also come, that is my trust,” Asokan told PTI.
About an IMA delegation meeting the Kolkata victim’s kin and agitating doctors, he said the deceased woman’s family members told them that the principal of the medical college kept them waiting for three hours and ultimately, did not meet them.
“Even the information that was conveyed over the phone was many hours late and they said they were not allowed to meet the head of the institution…. It is abnormal. Normally, we go out of the way to console them. Looking at the things that do not match with logic, it appears that there is more to the incident (than just rape and killing).
“One culprit has been caught. Injuries in the post-mortem show us the violent nature of the crime…. Not at all possible by one person. There are culprits who are roaming around but a professional investigation will be carried out by the CBI,” Asokan said.
Asokan said from their interactions with the agitating doctors in Kolkata, it came to light that they did not even have a proper duty room on the floor where the incident took place and a seminar room with two beds was used because that was the only possible place where they could get some rest.
“It was very unfortunate. This has brought out the lack of concern for the working hours of resident doctors, their basic infrastructure needs have also come out in this episode,” he said.
On the vandalism that took place at Kolkata’s RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in the intervening night of August 14 and August 15, Asokan said the violence happened at midnight, when more than 300 male and female medical students were sitting there and were driven away by a mob that vandalised the emergency department, equipment and went up to the third floor, where the crime occurred.
“These are very serious things that have happened — one is a crime at workplace and another is that such an atmosphere of vandalism could be created in a hospital,” he said.
On the CBI taking over the probe in the case and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee requesting the protesting doctors to call off their stir, saying their demands have been met, Asokan said the resident doctors are scared.
“They are simply scared. Without additional security and changes in the infrastructure, who will walk on those corridors? Who will go there again and how can you do midnight duty? More than the doctors, the nurses are scared and they are joining the protests everywhere,” he said.
Asokan highlighted the need for a new set of laws, strengthening of infrastructure and security deployment at hospitals.
On how long these protests will continue, Asokan said, “Right now, we are taking the call on a day-to-day basis. Next week, we will go from town to town, we will go to villages, meet MPs and MLAs and build a strong opinion that will put pressure on the government. The government is sensitive and we are expecting good results.”
The IMA has declared a 24-hour nationwide withdrawal of non-emergency medical services from 6 am on Saturday to 6 am on Sunday.
(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
First Published: Aug 16 2024 | 7:36 PM IST
