Doctors representing various medical institutions across the City assembled staged a protest in the City condemning ‘atrocities’ against medical professionals by patients and their families.
Over 2,500 doctors and support staff gathered at Freedom Park, demanding better working conditions. In the recent past, there have been several incidents where medical staff were assaulted physically and hospitals were vandalised by families of patients who claimed medical negligence.
Doctors from various associations such as the Medical Council of India (MCI), the Karnataka Government Medical Officers’ Association (KGMOA) and the Association of Health Providers India (APHI) came together for the protest.
Home Minister K J George and MLA Dr Ashwath Narayan C N met the protesters and assured them of steps to protect them.
The doctors submitted a memorandum to the Home Minister seeking better security. All doctors joined Dr M D Marker, Medical Director, Mahaveer Jain Hospital in saying, “We want the freedom to practice medicine fearlessly.”
“The government will not tolerate moral policing. Attack on medical professionals is a non-bailable offence as per the 2009 Act. I have already instructed M N Reddi, Police Commissioner, and S K Patnaik, Additional Chief Secretary, Government of Karnataka, to look into the issue and take strict action in such cases,” George said.
“If the patient’s family feels that they have not received appropriate treatment, they can always approach the police and lodge a complaint. Taking law into their own hands cannot be tolerated,” he said.
Leading City doctors at the protest expressed solidarity with the cause. Dr C N Manjunath, Director, Jayadeva Institute of Cardiac Sciences appealed to the Home Minister to sensitise the department on the 2009 Act which calls for protection of doctors. Recent studies have revealed that the average lifespan of doctors has come down by 10 years because of the stress they face at work, he said. Dr Shashidhar Buggi, Director, Rajiv Gandhi Institute for Chest Diseases said that patients fear to approach hospitals for
treatment and were sceptical whether they were in the best hands.
“By and large anti-social elements come to attack. The patient’s relatives will be in grief and cannot organise 2000 people to attack doctors, pour petrol to set the hospital on fire and damage equipment,” said Dr Sudarshan Ballal, Director, Manipal Hospital.
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