Relevance: Prelims
- The Supreme Court on Friday directed the Centre to respond to a plea to make violence committed against doctors and medical personnel and establishments a separate penal offence.
- The petition said police hardly swung into action to prevent incidents of violence or protect the medical community. The medical fraternity had become demoralised by the increasing number of attacks on them.
This was one of the reasons why doctors avoided serving in rural areas. “Unless such attacks are checked, there will be serious repercussions on patient care.”
- Violence against doctors was unacceptable and needed to be condemned. Small and medium private healthcare establishments formed the bulwark of the healthcare sector.
- They were, however, isolated and vulnerable to violence. The Prevention of Violence Against Medicare Persons and Institutions Acts, which have been notified in 19 States in the past 10 years, have failed to address the issue, the plea said.
- The punishment for committing violence against the medical fraternity should be either three years to five years’ imprisonment and a fine of minimum Rs. 25000 upto one lakh,