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.
The letter also adds, "The real size of the problem is largely unknown and recent information shows that the current knowledge is only the tip of the iceberg."
The letter of the medical association of the country comes a day after a group of people attacked a doctor at a rural hospital in Assam's Hojai district following the death of a Covid19 patient.
The IMA also said the doctors and healthcare staff are finding it difficult to work under the stress of violence.
The letter further reads, "Healthcare violence has become an alarming phenomenon across the country. The real size of the problem is largely unknown and recent information shows that the current knowledge is only the tip of the iceberg."
"While the entire medical fraternity stands with you and is working tirelessly during the pandemic, it is also facing a serious threat from healthcare violence. There are many incidences of healthcare violence taking place across the country," IMA stated.
The medical body also requested that strict action is taken against the culprits who have assaulted the doctor in Hojai.
Meanwhile, the police in Assam's Hojai district have swung into action arresting 24 persons in connection with the brutal assault on an on-duty doctor.
The arrested 24 persons include the main perpetrators and conspirators.
The arrested persons also include a woman, who was seen in the video of the assault on the doctor that went viral on social media.
