Mob attacks on doctors

The incidence of mob attacks are increasing day by day and the medical profession seems to be facing the burnt of it. It is the result of decreasing tolerance, increasing frustration, expectation of instant gratification, delayed and unequal justice and weakened police system, compounded by sensationalism by media, who judge and pass the verdict on the hapless victims without verifying facts, which then is copied at other places. Mobs are using brute force to get their way. A complication in a patient, or the unfortunate event of death makes the doctor a criminal and a mob collects, acting in an emotional frenzy, leaving all reason and logic behind, and cause irreparable damage to property and the doctor's and hospital's reputation with no repercussion at legal and financial level. If a patient does not want to pay the bills, the family raises a ruckus at the flimsiest excuse, get abusive and get away with it. It is high time for us to get united, strengthen and help each other in the hour of need.
DR. ATUL KUMAR GUPTA  President, IMAEDB 2007-2008

Why Doctors Should have an Association?

As a student aspiring to become a doctor one competes among appx. 3 lakh students for a meager 2000 seats all over India and simultaneously face the wrath of reservation and people who are ready to spend tens of lakhs of rupees for getting their non deserving wards admission to medical colleges by unjust means. Then after hard tried and hard worked admission to a medical college you prepare for another prolonged & hard battle of five years in a medical college only to become a MBBS worth a few thousand of rupees as stipend during internship, house job, PG or senior residency which is not sufficient even buy your bread & butter. An II-Tian or II-Main or a computer technologist or a person in a related field would be earning lakhs of rupees by that time or student who prefers to go for IAS or IPS or IFS or IRS would be more powerful & earn much much more then a medical graduate or postgraduate. You also have to face unjustified & unthoughtful Govt. policies even when you have doctors sitting at the helm of affairs who want to prolong agonies of a medical graduate by adding more years into his hard studies. This is not all ! When you complete your studies and then try to settle down in life at a ripe age of around 28 to 30 you face new challenges in the form of physical assaults by patients & relatives, a hell lot of regulatory acts, legal binding in the form of CPA, MTP Act, Nursing home registration act, PNDT act, commercial house taxes, electricity & water bills equating you with business community & still wanting a doctor to come in essential services to provide free services to community and still be at the mercy of others. As if that is not all, a bunch of "manipulator mind less", "corrupt", "deaf, dumb, docile & deficient" officials (i.e., MCD) come into action & tighten noose round your neck and squeeze any thing & every thing out that is left in you and make it sure that you are not able to work. "NOW WHERE TO GO ?" This is the time when your unity and association can come to your rescue.
Friends so association is a "MUST" and make duly elected office bearers of your association more powerful by joining hands with them so that united we can fight against the menace of politics, judiciary, law enforcing authorities, bureaucracy and various Govt. departments.

Dr. RAVI MALIK, President IMA East Delhi Branch 2008-2009

Andhra ordinance to make attack on doctors punishable

Hyderabad, Dec 17,2007 - Bowing to the demand of striking doctors, the Andhra Pradesh government Monday decided to bring an ordinance to protect them from attacks by relatives of patients by making it a punishable offence. However, doctors are continuing with their strike for other demands.The ordinance, the first of its kind, makes attacks on doctors, nursing staff or any paramedic a cognizable and non-bailable offence and the guilty could be sentenced to three years' imprisonment.The cabinet, which met here, decided to issue the ordinance even as medical services remained affected due the continuing strike by junior doctors at all government-run hospitals across the state.Minister for Information Anam Ramnarayan Reddy told newspersons after the cabinet meeting that the ordinance would be issued shortly. 'A person found guilty of attacking a doctor or other medical staff on duty may be sentenced up to three years in jail,' he said.

(Earlier, an attack on doctors at Niloufer Children's Hospital here on Dec 2 by a Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen(MIM) legislator and his supporters had sparked an indefinite strike. The 11-day strike, which allegedly resulted in the death of 40 children at the hospital due to negligence)

Andhra ordinance to make attack on doctors punishable

Ordinance to provide protection to medical professionals in Chennai too

CHENNAI: Any uncalled for attack on a doctor or a medical institution in the State will henceforth attract imprisonment of three to 10 years, according to an ordinance promulgated recently.

The ordinance, providing protection to medical professionals, is on the lines of a law enacted in Andhra Pradesh. Governor Surjit Singh Barnala gave his consent on Friday, Health Minister M.R.K. Panneerselvam said here on Sunday.

The ordinance, a long-pending demand of doctors both in the private and the public sector, provides protection to all registered doctors, nurses, students of medicine and nursing and paramedical workers.

The Chief Minister considered the request at length and, after discussion, the ordinance was drafted.