Following attacks on doctors, their stigmatization for treating Covid-19 patients and refusal to allow bodies of doctors dying of the disease to be buried with dignity, the Indian Medical Association (IMA) had given a call for a silent protest on Wednesday. The case of Dr Hercules, a neuro-surgeon of Chennai who died on Sunday last and was denied cremation, only to be buried later by a younger colleague who had to dig the grave with his own two hands was the last straw. Closer home the body of a doctor who died of Covid-19 received similar treatment a day after his death. Taking cognizance of this long-standing grievance of doctors and fearing that they may resort to other more stringent protests at a time when the country is tackling the deadly CoronaVirus pandemic, the Modi Government on Wednesday came up with an Ordinance to tackle violence against medical personnel. The Union Cabinet approved the promulgation of the Ordinance to amend the Epidemic Diseases Act, 1897. This makes violence against medical staff a cognizable and non-bailable offence. It also provides for compensation in cases of injury to health-care personnel or damage to their property.
The Ordinance proposes that in cases of attacks on healthcare workers, the investigation will be completed within 30 days and the final decision arrived at within one year. The punishment for such attacks will be three months to five years imprisonment with a fine ranging from Rs 50,000 to R 2 lakh. In cases, where there are grievous injuries, the punishment will be six months to seven years with a fine of Rs one lakh to Rs 5 lakh.
The IMA withdrew the protest only after they were assured that a law would be passed to address violence against medical professionals, vide a video-conference meeting called by Home Minister Amit Shah and Health Minister Harsh Vardhan with representatives of the IMA. Time and again, doctors have been at the receiving end. They are attacked by relatives of patients who die on account of their ailments.
Studies have shown that in most cases the attacks happen when relatives bring in patients for emergency treatment, invariably when the patient is hovering between life and death. At such times despite their best attempts doctors may not be able to save a patient’s life. Agitated relatives then blame the doctors and physically attack them. Doctors have been demanding a law against such violent assaults but to no avail. Hopefully, the Ordinance is legislated into a full-fledged law as and when Parliament meets next and does not lapse.