Jammu: The long pending demand of doctors of having a law in place that would ensure their safety and that of the hospital property finally seems to be getting some hold. With government, Saturday initiating a Panel Discussion, asking experts to come up with recommendations to check violence against medicos at hospitals.

Principal Secretary to Government, Health and Medical Education Department J&K, Dr. Pawan Kotwal said that government will take initiatives to ensure the security of doctors while delivering their professional duties.

Kotwal stated this while he inaugurating a Panel discussion on ‘Violence against healthcare professionals in J&K’ which was jointly organized by Indian Institute of Public Administration (IIPA) and Academy of Hospital Administration (AHA) regional chapter Jammu.

“Generally, violence against health professionals and health property happens when a person is emotionally high particularly in out-patient departments where patient flow is high and doctors are highly overburdened,” Kotwal said.

“There is a huge disparity between what is required and what is available which leads to unfortunate incidents of conflicts between medical professionals and people,” he added.

As far as the security of doctors is concerned, Kotwal said that there is a need of having a law in place to secure doctors and the hospital property.

“There should be a specific law to secure the doctors and hospital property and specific act is needed to fill the security lapse, besides there should be a legal deterrence which can stop people from committing such acts,” he added.

While appreciating the efforts of Principal Secretary to Government, Health and Medical Education Department J&K, Dr. Pawan Kotwal, President Doctors’ Association of Kashmir (DAK) Dr Suhail Naik said that it has been their long pending demand that the government should come up with the law that would ensure the security of the medicos while working at the hospitals.

“We welcome the step taken by Dr. Pawan Kotwal in this regard, and we are hopeful that the government will work upon the recommendations that the expert panel will put forth and come up with a law in this regard,” he said.

Pertinently, the medico body has been demanding a legislation in this regard, followed by several incidents that took place in which several medicos and the paramedics were either thrashed or were harassed which includes members of the public and the at some instances Police officials.

Notably, Dr Kotwal has asked the panelists to submit their recommendations to the government to help in reduction of violence against the medical professionals in the state, reiterating that government is committed to ensure the safe and hassle-free environment for both medical professionals and medical treatment for patients.

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