IMA demands deployment of armed forces at medical facilities to protect doctors

GUWAHATI: The Assam chapter of the Indian Medical Association (IMA) on Wednesday demanded that armed forces be deployed across all healthcare-providing establishments along with strict rules to prevent further incidents of violence against medical workers.

This appeal comes after a doctor, Dr Seuj Kumar Senapati, posted at the COVID-19 facility at Udali in Hojai district was attacked by a mob on Tuesday following a patient’s death.

IMA Assam president Dr. Satyajit Borah said, “All those people must be booked under stringent laws. They should be booked under Epidemic Act and also the Assam Medicare Service Act should be invoked. We demand a Fast-track trial and a verdict should be delivered within three months.”

“The government should come out with a permanent solution. We demand that government should put up armed forces in all the healthcare establishments, including the COVID care centres,” he added.

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The Indian Medical Association (IMA) has urged the Centre to implement a comprehensive, uniform, and effective law against healthcare violence.

In a letter to the Union home minister Amit Shah, the IMA said, “The incidents of healthcare violence have increased over the years and have become widespread and the dreaded entity poses to be a threat to the medical practice.”

“India needs a comprehensive, uniform, and effective law against the healthcare violence. We request you to kindly approve an effective and strong action against the healthcare violence,” the IMA wrote in its letter to Shah.

As many as 24 people have been arrested in connection with the thrashing of the doctor in Assam’s Hojai district, informed Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Wednesday.

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