JOIN USMHA asks states, UTs to take strict action against those who assault medicos
Strict action should be taken against those who target healthcare professionals, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has told states and union territories on Saturday highlighting that threat or assault dampens their morale and adversely affect the response system during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Union Home Secretary Ajay Bhalla said any such incident with doctors or other healthcare professionals would "create a sense of insecurity" among them and this would "adversely affect the healthcare response system".
This comes as around 3.5 lakh doctors of the Indian Medical Association (IMA) participated in a nationwide protest on Saturday demanding a central law dealing with violence against health professionals.
In identical letters to states and union territories, Bhalla stressed the advisories sent earlier, which spoke about remedial measures like deploying adequate security especially at Covid-19 designated hospitals along with controlled and restricted access to premises, facilitation centres at entry points to provide information as well as sharing of authenticated information about medical resources through online as well as other modes.
Deployment of Quick Response Teams (QRTs) was also suggested at vulnerable locations with effective communication and security gadgets besides effective local-level medical intervention.
"In the present circumstances, it has become imperative that strict action be taken against those who assault healthcare professionals. Institutional FIRs should be registered against assaulters and such cases should be fast tracked," Bhalla said adding states could invoke provisions of the Epidemic Diseases (Amendment) Act, 2020.
He also suggested that a close watch should be kept on "objectionable content in social media which may exacerbate such situations".
"Concerted efforts should be made through posters in hospitals, social media etc to emphasise the valuable contribution being made by doctors and other healthcare personnel in the fight against Covid-19," he said.