By IANS,
Chandigarh : The Chandigarh and Punjab chapters of the Indian Medical Association (IMA) have welcomed a bill passed by Punjab to protect doctors from any assault by patients or their relatives.
“Punjab is the third state to implement this ordinance after Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh. There are many cases in this region where both government and private hospitals were ransacked and doctors assaulted by the attendants of the patients in case of the patient’s death,” Zora Singh, president of IMA (Chandigarh), told mediapersons Saturday.
“Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal passed a bill Friday in the state assembly for the prevention of violence and damage to property in the hospitals in the favour of doctors. We all welcome this gesture and expect the Chandigarh administration to implement a similar provision,” said Singh.
“The violator of this act will be awarded one year rigorous imprisonment or a fine of Rs.50,000 or both, depending on the case,” he added.
IMA (Punjab) secretary Navjot Singh Dahiya said: “There are instances when local political leaders try to take undue advantage in case of death or some other complication in a hospital. Now this bill will refrain such people from aggravating the situation.”