What Government Said About Violence Against Medical Professionals (image:x.com/anusmita2000/)
New Delhi: In an enquiry concerning violence against medical professionals in the country, the Union government on Friday responded that all the State and Union Territories has been advised to take immediate measures to improve security and enable safer working environment for medical professionals. Following the RG Kar case, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW) issued advisory to all Institutes to ensure filing of FIR by the Institutes within six hours of any incident of violence on medical professionals, the government said.
In Lok Sabha, DMK MP Kanimozhi Karunanidhi raised the question whether the Government is aware of the rising incidents of violence against medical professionals in the country and enquired about the details. In response, Anupriya Patel, Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare said that the “data and details of incidents of violence against medical professionals in the country are not maintaining centrally.”
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Explaining further, Patel said that according to Constitutional provisions, ‘Health’ and ‘Law & Order’ are State subjects. It is the primary responsibility of the respective State and Union Territory to examine the events and incidents and take appropriate action to avert violence against healthcare professionals. It needs to be handled properly by the State/Union Territory under provisions in the in the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 2023 and the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), 2023. Through the incorporation of the constitutional provisions medical professionals can perform their professional activities without “fear of violence”.
Adding further, Minister said: “Many States have already enacted laws to address violence against healthcare professionals. Most of the State laws cover minor offences and prescribe punishment for them. The major offences/ heinous crimes are adequately covered under BNS, 2023. As the State laws have adequate provisions to address day-to-day minor offences and serious offences can be addressed by BNS, 2023, a separate Central law to deal with offenses against healthcare professionals is not required.”
Taking in consideration of the case, the Supreme Court has formed National Task Force (NTF) for composing the effective recommendations to remedy the issues concerning safety, working conditions and well-being of medical professionals and other related matters. The NTF has already submitted its report to the apex court, Minister added.
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A 32-year-old post-graduate trainee (PGT) doctor was brutally raped and murdered inside a seminar hall of the R.G. Kar Medical College and Hospital on August 9. Initially, the case was investigated by the Kolkata Police, which arrested Sanjay Roy, the accused on August 10. The case then handed over to the CBI on orders of the Calcutta High Court and submitted a charge-sheet.
