New Delhi: The Kerala government Wednesday approved the ‘Healthcare Service Workers and Healthcare Service Institutions (Prevention of Violence and Damage to Property) Amendment Ordinance’ in a bid to strengthen the existing legislation to protect healthcare workers.
The development comes a week after Vandana Das, a medical intern on duty at the Kottarakkara Taluk Hospital in Kollam, was stabbed to death by a man she was treating.
The suspect, identified as G. Sandeep, had stabbed Das in her chest and neck, according to media reports. She later succumbed to her injuries at a private hospital in Thiruvananthapuram within hours of the assault.
Sandeep, said reports, was a school teacher under suspension who had been taken into police custody following a brawl with his family. He was brought to the hospital in Kollam for a medical examination.
“In the ordinance, the nature of punishment and definition of violence has been strengthened and there is an upgradation of punishment, too,” Reena K.J., director of health services in Kerala told ThePrint. “We hope these changes deter crimes against healthcare workers in the future”.
According to the ordinance, the protection provided under the Kerala Healthcare Service Persons and Healthcare Service Institutions (Prevention of Violence and Damage to Property) Act, 2012, will now be extended to paramedical students too.
According to a statement issued by the state government, the ordinance will also cover paramedical staff, security guards, managerial staff, ambulance drivers, and helpers currently stationed and employed within healthcare institutions. Furthermore, health workers notified in the official government gazette from time to time will also be included in the ordinance.
The ordinance adds that anyone found guilty of causing grievous bodily harm to any healthcare worker or professional would be punished with imprisonment ranging from 1 year to 7 years and will have to pay a fine between Rs 1 lakh and Rs 5 lakh.
It also says that anyone who “commits or attempts to commit or incites or inspires an act of violence against healthcare workers or those working in healthcare institutions”, shall be punished with imprisonment for a term not less than 6 months and up to 5 years, and also be levied a fine between Rs 50,000 and Rs 2 lakh.
The move by the state government comes amid a call by doctors across the country to bring in a central legislation for protection of doctors.
“Central law gets incorporated in CrPC (Code of Criminal Procedure) which makes its implementation more effective. Even though 23 states have state laws, it is proving ineffective,” Dr Ravi Wankhedkar, a senior member of the Indian Medical Association, told ThePrint.
“Of course, law alone will not prevent violence totally. Preventive measures are equally important and ethical behaviour and blatant privatisation of medical education and corporatisation of healthcare are also important factors,” he said, adding that insurance-based models of healthcare delivery systems are fast eroding the sacrosanct doctor-patient relationship.
(Edited by Zinnia Ray Chaudhuri)
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