Taking serious note of the attack on doctors in West Bengal that had led to nation-wide agitation, Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan has called upon all the states to come up with legislation to protect the doctors and other professionals in the medical field from any assault.
In a letter to the Chief Ministers of all states, he said that strict action should be taken against those who assault the doctors and other medical professionals. The Union health Minister wrote the letter in t6he wake of Indian Medical Association launching a four day long agitation against the assault of doctors in West Bengal. Moreover, the Association had also written a letter to Home Minister Amit Shah urging him to enact a law to check such attacks against doctors. The Association also met the Health Minister on Saturday.
Harsh Vardhan also expressed deep concern over the attack of doctors in Bengal and said that such incidents were reported from other states also. The assault on doctors and medical professionals leads to sudden strikes that could adversely affect the patients.
Stressing the need for enacting legislation for protecting the doctors and others in the health care system from any assault, he said that such legislation was needed so that they could discharge their duties without any fear.
In the letter, the minister also quoted the decision taken in 2017 at the Inter- Ministerial committee under the Health Ministry to review the issues of the Indian Medical Association. The committee in its report had recommended that all the states that do not have specific legislation to protect the health professionals should have to immediately come up with such legislation. The Minister also attached a copy of the draft provided by the IMA in this regard.
