New Delhi: A central protection act for their fraternity and better working conditions for junior doctors across the nation are demands that healthcare professionals reiterated on Saturday amid the shockwaves sent throughout the country following the heinous crime in Kolkata that involved the assault, rape, and murder of a trainee doctor.
The protesting doctors stressed that in order for them to provide care and save lives, they needed a safe working environment and denounced the horrific act of violence on the resident doctors of Kolkata in particular, as well as the rising number of attacks on medical workers generally.
Dr Praveen Gupta, Principal Director and Chief of Neurology at Fortis Hospital stated they ask the authorities to guarantee a secure workplace for everyone working around the clock; they are all fighting to save lives.
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“The events in Calcutta should serve as a wake-up call for all of us in the medical fraternity,” he added.
The UK’s National Health Service (NHS) has a zero-tolerance policy on violence, which is enforced by dedicated security staff and a sophisticated reporting system, as stated by Dr Sunita Kapoor, Director of the City X-Ray and Scan Clinic in Delhi-NCR.
In the US, some states classify assaults on healthcare workers as felonies, acting as a strong deterrent. Australian hospitals have introduced safety measures like security personnel, panic buttons, and mandatory de-escalation training.
“India must urgently introduce a Central Protection Law and adopt similar measures to take stringent actions to ensure a safer environment for its healthcare workers,” she mentioned.
The Indian Medical Association (IMA) has already demanded a Central Act (Central Protection Act for Doctors) protecting medical professionals from violence at workplaces after the brutal rape and murder of the junior doctor at Kolkata’s R.G. Kar Medical College and Hospital last week.
“We must ensure that the life and memory of the medical trainee in Kolkata are not forgotten. We can’t bring her back, but we can work to prevent such incidents from happening again,” said Dr Aashish Chaudhry, Managing Director of Aakash Healthcare.
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–IANS
