Health Minister Rajendra Singh on Monday gave assurance to a group of doctors led by head of Medical Protection Act coordination committee Dr Bharti Kashyap that the proposed Medical Protection Act (MPA) will be implemented in Jharkhand at earliest.
The team met the Minister requesting him to implement the proposed Act soon as it was still in the form of an ordinance promulgated by the Governor during President’s Rule.
After the discussion, Singh assured them that he would initiate steps to implement the Act in the state as early as possible. The Minister said that he had asked the officials to present him the MPA draft which was passed by the Governor soon so that with the consent of Chief Minister the Act can be implemented within the state.
Interestingly, the Minister also assured the group to provide a land for the disposal of medical waste of the city hospital.
The delegation handed over a letter to the Minister stating that MPA was effective in many states including Andhra Pradesh, Gujrat, Maharashtra, Odisha and Chhatisgarh. looking at the necessity of the act in the state Indian Medical Association, Jharkhand Chapter and Association of Hospital and Nursing Homes had constituted a coordination committee which prepared a format of the act, it stated.
Though, in principle, the political leaders were ready for implementing the Act, it was stuck due to shaky politics of Jharkhand. Dr. Bharti Kashyap knocked every door to make the act a reality. She also met Governor Dr. Syed Ahmed during President’s rule and an ordinance was passed few months back as the bill cannot be passed without a popular government.
The group, which met the Health Minister today included Dr. BP Kashyap (Secretary of IMA, Ranchi), Dr. SR Das (president of IMA, Ranchi), Dr. Yogesh Gambhir (President of Nursing Homes and Hospital Association), Dr. Vimalesh and Dr. Ajay Singh (Former presidents of IMA, Ranchi).