The Union health ministry has come out with a draft bill to deal with assaults on doctors on duty and vandalisation of hospital premises. The bill proposes a jail term of up to 10 years and a maximum fine of Rs 10 lakh as punishment for these offences.
The development comes three days after a mob killed a retired 73-year-old doctor at a tea estate in Assam because he was not present when a temporary worker died at the estate hospital.
The Health Ministry has asked for feedback from the public on how to improve the draft Healthcare Service Personnel and Clinical Establishments (Prohibition of Violence and Damage to Property) Bill, 2019, which was made public on Monday.
As per reports, a Health ministry official has said, “we want to reduce increasing cases of violence against doctors. We are looking for suggestions on the draft legislation before the bill is finalised. The objections or suggestions may be forwarded within 30 days. The maximum punishment will be 10 years imprisonment with Rs. 10 lakh fine.”
Also Read: Health Minister Harsh Vardhan cycles to WHO meet, participates in yoga session
As per the recommendation, the minimum jail term will be six months and a person will have to shell out at least Rs 50,000, if convicted, with the jail term and fine varying according to the extent of the hurt and damage caused.
The proposed legislation also makes assaulting doctors a cognizable and non-bailable offence. The person charged with damaging hospital property will have to pay twice the amount of fair market value of the damaged property.
As per the draft, violence against doctors is termed as “harm, injury, hurt, grievous hurt, intimidation to, or danger to the life of a health care service personnel in the discharge of duty, either within the premises of a clinical establishment or otherwise… obstruction or hindrance in letting a doctor treat a patient, or loss or damage to property…”
The Union health ministry constituted a 10-member committee in July to look into the matter amid rising cases of manhandling of doctors by attendants of patients.
The committee constituted an eight-member sub-committee to draft the bill.