Recently, attacks on resident doctors and medical personnel have been increasing. Therefore, as an attempt to protect medical personnel against violence and attacks from patients, MP Shashi Tharoor has introduced The Healthcare Personnel and Healthcare Institutions (Prohibition of Violence and Damage to Property) Bill, 2023 in the Lok Sabha on August 4. Posting the pictures of the documents, the MP took to Twitter to share the details of the bill.
The document read, "While there is no central data on the number of assault cases against healthcare personnel or health facilities, the Indian Medical Association (IMA) estimates that 75 percent of all doctors face some form of verbal and physical abuse during their service, with cases of violence severely underreported. International organizations, such as the World Health Organization (WHO) and the International Council of Nurses (ICN), have also recognized the issue of violence against healthcare workers as a global concern."
"The legislative lacunae only further complicate our ability to address this challenge. Currently, no national-level law, including the Indian Penal Code (IPC), 1860 and Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC), 1973 comprehensively and categorically addresses the issue. State Laws vary: the existing laws are weak in their implementation, vary a lot and lack scope to protect all Healthcare personnel," it added.
Recollecting Dr Vandana Das incident
To recall, on April 10, Dr Vandana Das, a house surgeon was stabbed several times and later succumbed to her injuries in a private hospital in Thiruvananthapuram. She was a house surgeon at Azeezia Medical College Hospital and was working at the Kottarakkara Taluk Hospital as part of her training. This incident raised a serious question about the implementation of a bill to protect doctors in hospitals.
Citing this, the MP said, this private bill makes acts of violence against healthcare personnel, including paramedical students, workers, administrative staff, Accredited Social Health Activist (ASHA) workers, a cognisable and non-bailable offence. "If passed, my Bill should be known as the Vandana Das Act, in honour of the brave young medical martyr," the tweet read.
Lastly, the MP, in the document, stressed, "Her death must not just serve as a reminder of the consequences of our inaction but become a call to action, particularly towards ensuring that the legislative lacuna is addressed so that no doctor has to worry about their own safety in the line of duty."
"This, therefore, necessitates a comprehensive central legislation to put a check on such violence at the earliest, to promote a safe work environment for doctors and other healthcare personnel and to serve as a model for state laws," he said.
