In the wake of the rising number of cases of attack on doctors at various hospitals, Health Secretary Arti Ahuja on Friday urged the Home Department to set up police outposts at the health centres in the State to provide 24-hour security to doctors and other staff.
In a letter to Home Secretary Asit Tripathy, Ahuja said repeated attacks on doctors have led to a feeling of insecurity among medical staff. “As the incidents of manhandling of doctors are growing, it is requested that police outposts be opened in all tertiary care institutions, district headquarters hospitals and sub-divisional hospitals in the State,” Ahuja said in her letter.
Making a case for tight security to be provided to doctors, Ahuja said the police should be asked to include the provisions of the Medicare Act 10 of 2009 in the FIR. “The importance of Medicare Act 10 of 2009 promulgated to curb violence against medicare providers in Government hospitals may also be emphasised and police stations be requested to include its provisions in the FIR,” she said.
She also urged the Home Secretary to instruct police personnel to press the most stringent sections of law in the FIR in such cases. “FIRs must be lodged in all such cases by including the most stringent sections of law and proper follow-up must be done by the investigating agency to ensure that the cases against assaulters reach their logical ends,” the letter said.
The Health Department’s move came after doctors at the Puri District Headquarters Hospital were up in arms after being assaulted by relatives of a patient who accused them of medical negligence leading to his death on Wednesday night. The relatives of the patient had also ransacked the hospital premises.