Much awaited Medical Protection Bill would now be debated and discussed by the Select Committee of the Assembly. Members from almost all the parties
demanded for sending the Bill the Committee considering technicalities involved and also that it was not in favour of the common man.
JVM’s Pradeep Yadav questioned the utility of the legislation as he said provisions under various criminal procedures were already in place. “Provision under CrPC and IPC are there under which anyone indulged in any kind of crime mentioned here can be booked. Why you need a separate set of law which would over-protect the doctors. We know the state of medical facilities in the State and behaviour of doctors. You don’t have any law for fixing responsibility of the doctors. I feel the Bill is undemocratic and anti- people,” he said.
The Government introduced the Bill to check cases of highhandedness against doctors in various cases. Aggrieved family members of patients have been involved in trashing of medical professionals quite frequently. Bandhu Trikey of TMC, BJP’s Umashankar Akela, JMM’s Mahtura Mahto and many others also questioned the provisions which propose to book the errant members of patients under non-bailable sections.
Though, Health Minister Rajendra Singh tried to defend the provisions saying that due to the behaviour medical institutions and hospitals did not want to come in Jharkhand. “The Bill has been passed by the Cabinet and we have looked into all the provisions. The State needs the Act because top hospitals are not coming in Jharkhand. But if you all wish the Bill can be sent to Select Committee for its opinion. But the Committee should submit its report within 15 days,” said Singh.
Besides this, the House passed four other Bills for secondary school management, setting up a Water Resource Regulatory Authority, one amendment in VAT and Jharkhand Technology University Bill-2011. The Technology University originally tabled in 2011passed with amendment which deleted its Section-45 from the earlier version.
Coal theft issue also came in the first half and leader of Opposition Arjun Munda asked the Government about the action it had taken against the practice. “Some coal may have been seized by what action has been taken against those involvedIJ What happened to the task force which was proposed to come on the issueIJ I say that senior officials are involved and the House has every right to know the entire matter,” said Munda.
Meanwhile, Medical Protection Act Coordination Committee head Dr Bharti Kashyap said, “MPA is for progressive development of a hospital. It helps in saving the infrastructure of a hospital especially government based like RIMS in times of violence created by some group of individuals. Unfortunately, ministers of our state have failed to understand its importance. But, PM Narendra Modi had understood the relevance and had implemented it in Gujarat when he was CM of the respective state.”
“The struggle for MPA started in a consolidated way in July 2011. We met Health Minister and gave him a proposed draft of Media Protection Bill. 10 social organizations gave support in office of Health Secretary. Also, we met CM in May 2013. It got approval of Governor in President Rule but soon President Rule was over and struggle again began. We met Health Minister in November 2013 and later realised it was being circulated as act and it should have been a Bill,” Dr Kashyap added.