IMA writes an open letter to the PM on induction of Mr Anant K Hegde in the Union Cabinet

IMA writes an open letter to the PM on induction of Mr Anant K Hegde in the Union Cabinet Dr KK Aggarwal National President IMA Violence against doctors is occurring with increasing frequency in India. Enactment of a stringent central act against violence making violence against doctors a non-bailable offense punishable with up to 14 years imprisonment on the lines of abatement of a murder is one of our major demands. This was also a recommendation of the inter-ministerial committee formed more than two years back, which is yet to be implemented. The perpetrators of such violent attacks against doctors are not only relatives/friends of the patients, but unfortunately VVIPs too, such as MPs, who are representatives of people and therefore also representatives of their concerns and problems in the Parliament. Earlier this year, Mr Anant Kumar Hegde, a member of parliament from Karnataka allegedly assaulted hospital staff including doctors at a private hospital in Sirsi, Karnataka over an alleged delay in treating his mother. This incident was caught in the CCTV, on the basis of which, the Sirsi police registered a suo motu case against the MP. But, neither the CCTV footage has not been put on FIR record nor have statements of doctors have been recorded. The local Sirsi Association of Medical Consultants at Sirsi also filed a complaint in the local court asking for a fair and free trial and requested the court to direct the police to record the evidences. In his speech on the occasion of the centenary celebrations of Sabarmati Ashram in Gujarat in June this year, the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi had addressed the issue of violence against doctors. “If a patient dies due to an unsuccessful operation, relatives burn down hospitals and beat up doctors. An accident is an accident. When people die or are injured in accidents, a group of people come together and burn vehicles,” he said (Indian Express, June 30, 2017). He had also taken a clear stand against violence, when he had said, “No person in this nation has the right to take the law in his or her own hands in this country.” The Indian Medical Association (IMA) is not against accountability and also holds the view that no one can be allowed to take law in their hands. But, in an unfortunate and disturbing turn of events, instead of taking any action against him or conducting a fair inquiry into the incident, Mr Anant Kumar Hegde has been ‘rewarded’ with a position in the Union cabinet in the recent cabinet reshuffle on Sunday. Vedas teach us to seek forgiveness. The medical fraternity was hopeful that after taking over as a minister, Mr Anant Kumar Hegde would first apologize for his misdeeds to the medical profession. But there has been no sign of repentance. Appointing a tainted person as the Minister of State in the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship has sent a wrong message to the society. Is indulging in violence and not apologising the ‘new skill’ to be taught to entrepreneurs? In an open letter to the Prime Minister, IMA has appealed for his intervention in this regard – to make appropriate revision in his decision and also to expedite and get the incident investigated in a fair manner. Becoming a doctor is not easy. Years of hard work, dedication and sacrifice make a doctor. And, no doctor practices medicine to intentionally harm a patient. Inducting Mr Anant Kumar Hegde in the Cabinet is disheartening. It has also distressed us all. ‘Rewarding’ his conduct, will only ‘encourage’ others to follow suit

IMA lauds Prime Minister Modi's stand on violence against doctors

IMA lauds Prime Minister Modi's stand on violence against doctors Says the government should finally sit up and take notice of the issues plaguing this noble profession and work towards resolving them New Delhi, 29 June 2017: In what can be called another ray of hope in IMA's collective voice and stand against the atrocities faced by the medical fraternity, Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed one of the most pertinent issues that the Association is fighting for-- that of increasing violence against doctors and those in the medical profession. IMA lauded the PM's stand on the issue in his speech on the occasion of the centenary celebrations of Sabarmati Ashram in Gujarat. In his speech, the Hon'ble Prime Minister expressed his disbelief and angst on the fact that the people of a country that reveres the proponent of non-violence, Mahatma Gandhi, should act against doctors and indulge in violence against them. Calling doctors as life givers, Mr Modi said that the country's collective consciousness needs a drastic change. Speaking about this, Padma Shri Awardee Dr K K Aggarwal, National President Indian Medical Association (IMA) and President Heart Care Foundation of India (HCFI) and Dr RN Tandon – Honorary Secretary General IMA in a joint statement, said, "The efforts of the IMA have come full circle today with one of the pertinent issues being addressed by the Prime Minister himself. We are grateful to him for taking notice and speaking in our favor. Violence against doctors is unacceptable and any such act should be made a punishable, non-bailable offence with imprisonment of up to 14 years. There should also be a stringent central act to this effect. These are tough times for the medical profession at large with its nobility and integrity at stake. It is important to understand that doctors are also human beings and not healing angels. Once treatment is administered, the recuperation of a patient depends upon physical and organic factors. It is unacceptable and absurd to victimize the medical practitioner if the patient does not respond to treatment." The IMA recently concluded a nationwide campaign against the many issues facing the medical community. These led up to the Dilli Chalo movement which saw participation from doctors all over India, in large numbers, both in person and digitally through live web casts. The fact that the movement started with the blessings of Mahatma Gandhi at Rajghat was symbolic of IMA's silent but strong support for non-violence. Adding further, Dr Aggarwal, said, "Both doctors and patients should understand the sanctity of their relationship. The dignity of the profession needs to be upheld. It won’t be wrong to say that justice has been denied to doctors even within the framework of the constitution of India. The sole aim of all the protests is to serve as a wake-up call to the government for urgent action. And this address by the Hon'ble Prime Minister is definitely a positive step in that direction." While there need to be stringent security measures to curb violence against doctors, strengthening the doctor-patient relationship is also imperative. The need of the hour is accountability and openness which will further lead to a restoration of trust in the doctor-patient relationship.

IMA condemns violence against doctors

IMA condemns violence against doctors Calls for a stringent central act against this practice and making it a non-bailable offence New Delhi, 26 May 2017: The IMA has called for a stringent central act against the increasing incidence of violence against doctors. This comes as part of the Association's intensive month-long campaign to raise awareness on and bring to light the issues faced by the medical profession today. IMA is a unified voice and the collective consciousness of the medical profession in the country. In this capacity, it has organized a protest march called the Dilli Chalo movement on 6th June 2017, which will be followed by deliberations on issues facing the medical fraternity. An estimate by the IMA shows that over 75% of doctors across the country have faced at least some form of violence. About 18 states across the country have laws in place to address this issue. However, doctors still continue to face the wrath of patients' kin due to lack of efficient implementation of these laws. Speaking about this, Padma Shri Awardee Dr K K Aggarwal, National President Indian Medical Association (IMA) and President Heart Care Foundation of India (HCFI) and Dr RN Tandon – Honorary Secretary General IMA in a joint statement, said, "Disturbing a doctor while he/she is on duty in the critical area, either verbally, mentally or physically, is definitely not acceptable. Any act of violence against doctors should be made a punishable, non-bailable offence with imprisonment of up to 14 years. The doctors posted in critical areas are on sensitive duty where they look after critically ill patients and violence can endanger multiple lives. A stringent central law is the only answer. Every critical area in the hospital must have voice-activated CCTV camera and adequate doctor-to-patient ratio. There is also a need to change the government policy of allowing four minutes per patient." As per a nationwide study conducted by IMA earlier, doctors face maximum violence while providing emergency services, with as many as 48.8% of such incidents reported from intensive care units (ICUs) or after a patient undergoes surgery. The main reason reported behind such violence is unnecessary investigations or delay in attending to a patient. Adding further, Dr Aggarwal, said, "It is important to understand that doctors are also human beings and not healing angels. Once treatment is administered, the recuperation of a patient depends upon physical and organic factors. It is unacceptable and absurd to victimize the medical practitioner if the patient does not respond to treatment." It is after having decided that enough is enough that the IMA has given this clarion call, Dilli Chalo. The march will be undertaken by over a lakh doctors in the country, both digitally and physically. IMA is also initiating a signature campaign on the issues at hand on social media and has urged all doctors to join and collect hundreds of thousands of signatures to demand justice from the government.

IMA calls for ending violence against doctors

IMA calls for ending violence against doctors The 217th meeting of IMA Central Working Committee discusses taking united action against pressing issues New Delhi, 17 April 2017: Over 300 IMA leaders gathered to deliberate on key issues affecting the medical profession at the 217th Meeting of the Central Working Committee of IMA, the oldest and largest representative organization of doctors of modern scientific medicine. The meeting was held in Kolkata on 15th and 16th April 2017. The main agenda of the Central Working Committee is to evaluate and discuss issues of National importance affecting the functioning and efficacy of the medical community in the country. Many prominent thought leaders attended the meeting which saw discussions and deliberations on some pressing issues facing the medical fraternity today such as violence against doctors, redundant laws the medical fraternity is being subjected, unjustified compensation for any medical negligence, etc. Speaking on the occasion, Padma Shri Awardee Dr K K Aggarwal, National President Indian Medical Association (IMA) and President Heart Care Foundation of India (HCFI) and Dr RN Tandon – Honorary Secretary General IMA in a joint statement, said, “The medical profession today faces many challenges than ever before and this is the time when the IMA must stand together as a united voice against these. Restoring the nobility, honesty and integrity of the medical profession in India is in our hands and as the key stakeholders in this respect we must act with immediate urgency. The IMA stands for accountability and regulation of practice. We need to oppose quackery at all levels and also pave way for self-regulation”. The primary issue discussed in the meeting was the increasing violence against doctors. While the IMA is not against accountability, it was discussed that the medical fraternity will have zero tolerance for violence against doctors and medical establishments. Speaking further on this, Dr K K Aggarwal opined, "This meeting has raised some very relevant issues, the primary one being cases of violence against doctors. This is a matter of grave concern, which affects the nobility of the profession. Treatment failures don't amount to negligence on the part of doctors and a 5% death rate during treatment is unavoidable. The Indian judicial system and the law enforcement agencies need to provide the doctors with protection against such violence failing which the medical community will be unable to practice and fulfill their basic duties without any apprehensions." It was also decided that the IMA would appoint health-keeping forces. A need was felt to bring back trust in the medical profession as also strengthen doctor-patient relationships. The leaders also felt that just as government officials and members of parliament have immunity at work, doctors should also get similar provisions. The members present in the meeting hoped that as a result of the discussions in this meeting, the fight for the rights of the medical fraternity in India would gain new ground.