Jharkhand chapter of Indian Medical Association (IMA) has threatened to go on strike if the Medical Protection Act (MPA), meant to protect nursing homes and hospitals in the State from violent mob or relatives of patients is not implemented before September 15. The decision is feared to bring entire health services at standstill in the State.
“The doctors association has been demanding to implement MPA since long. We now want this with immediate effect. This is beneficial for the patients and for protecting the hospital equipments. Even after the approval of CM Raghubar Das on the matter, the Act is yet to be implemented in Jharkhand. All the major opposition party has raised this vital issue but nothing has been done on it yet. It is high time that the Government take the matter with utmost seriousness,” said, IMA, Jharkhand State Branch, Secretary, Dr. Pradeep Kumar Singh.
Notably, the Act has already been implemented in 18 States across the country. However, the state government is yet to take any step towards this. The Act, which aims to protect doctors, nurses and hospitals from violent attacks of anti social elements, was approved in 2013 by the Government but notification for making it applicable is yet to be done.
The law makes provision for three years of imprisonment and a fine of 50,000 for attacking doctors, nurses and medical setups under the act. Presently, the hospital administration works according to Clinical Establishment Act in state.
Jharkhand has adopted the Act under clause (1) of article 252 of the Constitution. Nevertheless, doctors here have demanded that, Clinical Establishment Act must be rectified and State government should initiate it as per the requirement of the state by assuring all basic amenities to the doctors.
“The Clinical Establishments (Registration and Regulation) Act, 2010 enacted by the Central Government to provide for registration and regulation of all clinical establishments in the country with a view to prescribe the minimum standards of facilities and services provided by them need to be changed as per the State prerequisites,” added, Singh while briefing the press on Sunday.
Furthermore, other members of the doctors’ body unanimously added that the Sadar Hospital functioning must be initiated at earliest but besides that all the existing infrastructure must be utilised on priority basis by the State government for establishing medical colleges.
Blaming the Health Secretary K Vidyasagar for lingering the matter of Dynamic Assured Career Progression (DACP), Singh, added, “As many as 530 doctors in the state have not yet got the benefit of the scheme. The matter has been lingering due to the laid back attitude of the Health Secretary.”
On the issue of conducting a free medical health checkup camp at IMA building Ranchi on every Sunday, noted Ophthalmologist and IMA women wing president, Dr. Bharti Kashyap, said, “Doctors are conducting free health camp at regular interval in interior rural pockets of Saranda, Santhal Pargana, Chaibasa including other parts of the state. We are here to serve people and will continue to do that in some or the other way.”