<p>The Delhi Medical Association has approached the Supreme Court for directions to the Centre and other authorities to prevent frequent attacks on medical fraternity and their establishments by taking adequate security measures and declaring hospitals and nursing homes as protected zones.</p>.<p>In a PIL, the DMA and its Assam President, Dr Satyajit Borah, sought framing of guidelines to have a requisite preventive and security system in place to have a safe working environment for healthcare professionals and other staff to prevent any assault, violence or mob lynching against them by patients relatives or friends.</p>.<p>The petition, filed through advocate Sneha Kalita, also pleaded for formulating a mechanism to ensure speedy trials in assault cases against medical service professionals.</p>.<p>The association sought a direction to all state governments to display a banner prominently in every health establishment as a warning against any kind of violence or assault with healthcare workers.</p>.<p>It said medicare service institutions and its staff have been rendering their untiring service to humankind, and more, during the current Covid-19 pandemic. "A preventive, punitive and compensatory mechanism for adequate safety measures to them is a need of the hour wherein the healthcare workers are fighting a war like situation with either limited or scarce resource," the plea stated.</p>.<p>Out of 28 states and eight Union Territories, only 23 states and two UTs have their own legislations regarding the medical healthcare professionals and personnel against any violence with a maximum period of three years imprisonment. The law in Arunachal Pradesh, however, prescribed maximum imprisonment upto 10 years and with a fine which may extend to 5 lakhs for such violence, it pointed out.</p>.<p>According to medical journal The Lancet, nearly 75% doctors in India have faced either verbal or physical violence during their lifetime.</p>
<p>The Delhi Medical Association has approached the Supreme Court for directions to the Centre and other authorities to prevent frequent attacks on medical fraternity and their establishments by taking adequate security measures and declaring hospitals and nursing homes as protected zones.</p>.<p>In a PIL, the DMA and its Assam President, Dr Satyajit Borah, sought framing of guidelines to have a requisite preventive and security system in place to have a safe working environment for healthcare professionals and other staff to prevent any assault, violence or mob lynching against them by patients relatives or friends.</p>.<p>The petition, filed through advocate Sneha Kalita, also pleaded for formulating a mechanism to ensure speedy trials in assault cases against medical service professionals.</p>.<p>The association sought a direction to all state governments to display a banner prominently in every health establishment as a warning against any kind of violence or assault with healthcare workers.</p>.<p>It said medicare service institutions and its staff have been rendering their untiring service to humankind, and more, during the current Covid-19 pandemic. "A preventive, punitive and compensatory mechanism for adequate safety measures to them is a need of the hour wherein the healthcare workers are fighting a war like situation with either limited or scarce resource," the plea stated.</p>.<p>Out of 28 states and eight Union Territories, only 23 states and two UTs have their own legislations regarding the medical healthcare professionals and personnel against any violence with a maximum period of three years imprisonment. The law in Arunachal Pradesh, however, prescribed maximum imprisonment upto 10 years and with a fine which may extend to 5 lakhs for such violence, it pointed out.</p>.<p>According to medical journal The Lancet, nearly 75% doctors in India have faced either verbal or physical violence during their lifetime.</p>
