The District Legal Service Authority (DLSA) of Haryana is organising a medico-legal awareness programme for doctors and other medical staff of both Government and private hospitals at Artemis Hospital on Sunday. Justice AK Mittal of the Punjab and Haryana High Court will be the chief guest.
The aim behind this seminar is to provide legal knowledge to doctors about their medical profession and medical norms. Radiologists, doctors of Government and private hospitals of the district, judges, lawyers, law faculty and students will attend the seminar. The seminar will be conducted in association with the Indian Medical Association. Around 165 doctors have registered themselves for it.
“It is important for the doctor to know the legal implications of laws governing the medical profession. The seminar will act as a catalyst in speeding up the upgradation of legal awareness in doctors and maintaining the harmony in the medical and legal profession,” said Ravi Kumar Sondhi, District and Sessions Judge.
He added legal awareness among the medical fraternity will not only act as a shield from unnecessary legal entanglements but it will also be helpful to the victims of acid attacks, rape survivors and road accidents among others.
“As it is observed that in serious cases like rapes, acid attacks and road accidents, the medical practitioners lack knowledge about the relevant laws and as such, they are found hesitant in treating such patients,” the D&SJ said.
“The programme will help the doctors to assume legal knowledge about their profession. The majority of cases decided against the doctors pertain to lack or improper knowledge about legal aspects,” said Chief Judicial Magistrate Narender Singh.
Also, there are growing incidents of kin of the patients vandalising hospital property in case of alleged medical negligence. To curb such incident an act was passed in 2009. But the hospital authorities and doctors do not have knowledge about the law. As per the law, the hospital authority can claim the compensation from the kin of the patient in case of damage to the hospital property.