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Prime Minister Modi. (PTI data map)
The IMA, which is monitoring the 24-hour shutdown of non-emergency services across the country from 6am on Saturday, has written to the Prime Minister setting out five demands
The IMA on Saturday sought Prime Minister Narendra Modi's “benign intervention” to enact a central law to stop violence against healthcare workers and declare hospitals as safe zones with mandatory security rights.
These are among the demands made by top doctors' groups in the backdrop of the alleged rape and murder of a doctor at the state-run RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata and the subsequent vandalism of the facility.
The Indian Medical Association (IMA), which is monitoring the 24-hour suspension of non-emergency services across the country from 6 am on Saturday, has written to the Prime Minister with five demands.
In a statement, the IMA said all essential services were maintained and injury wards were manned.
The statement added: “The victims worked 36-hour shifts and lacked safe rest spaces and adequate toilets, requiring a complete overhaul of the working and living conditions of the resident doctors.”
It also calls for hospitals to be declared safe zones, with mandatory security rights as a first step.
“Security protocols in hospitals should not be lower than those at airports. The first step is to declare hospitals as safe zones with mandatory security rights. CCTV cameras, deployment of security personnel and protocols can be followed,” the IMA said.
It called for a core bill to incorporate the 2020 amendments to the Epidemic Diseases Act 1897 into the draft Healthcare Services Personnel and Clinical Establishments (Prohibition of Violence and Damage to Property) Bill 2019, saying this would strengthen existing 25 states have legislation.
The doctors' association also called for a detailed and professional investigation into the crime within a specific time period to ensure justice, while identifying those involved in the vandalism and punishing those involved.
The IMA said a large crowd carried out an act of vandalism on August 15, destroying various parts of the facility, including where the victims were found.
It also seeks appropriate and dignified compensation for the families of the deceased.
Due to the nature of their profession, doctors, especially female doctors, are vulnerable to violence. The IMA said authorities have a responsibility to ensure the safety of doctors in hospitals and on campuses.
“The RG Kar incident highlighted two aspects of hospital violence: the brutal scale of crime fueled by the lack of safe spaces for women, and the hooliganism fueled by the lack of organized security protocols. The crime and vandalism shocked the nation's conscience.
The IMA said doctors at several hospitals across the country have canceled non-essential services and are only providing emergency and causal services.
It also appreciated the Prime Minister's remarks on women's safety in his Independence Day speech.
“We call on you to make positive interventions at this stage. This will bring confidence not only to female doctors, but to every woman in the workplace.
The IMA says 60% of Indian doctors are women.
The proportion is as high as 68% in the dental industry, 75% in the physical therapy industry, and 85% in the nursing industry. It added that all healthcare professionals should enjoy a peaceful atmosphere, safety and security in the workplace.
“We call on you to intervene appropriately to ensure that appropriate steps are taken to meet our requirements,” the IMA said.
(This report has not been edited by News18 staff and is published from United News Agency-PTI)
