Leaders of Indian Medical Association (IMA) and other medical groups met with Bengal chief minister, Mamata Banerjee today with a list of demands including increased security and harsher punishment for any unruly behavior or attacks on doctors on part of anybody who may lose momentary control after witnessing death of their loved one due to gross medical negligence, real or perceived. The Bengal government has already passed a draconian state law (Prevention of Violence and Damage of Property Act) under which anyone threatening or showing semblance of any violent behavior toward the hospital or doctor following death of their loved one from reckless therapy will be arrested under non-bailable arrest warrant and put in jail for three years. Wilting under pressure from the powerful medical groups, chief minister has promised even tougher treatment for the patient-party if they break down and shows any unruly behavior toward our healers or hospitals.
PBT has always denounced doctor bashing or hospital vandalism under any condition, even in the event of genuine incidence of death from medical negligence because two wrongs can never make a right. However, PBT has also repeatedly pleaded before the government and IMA that in order to eradicate the rare but unfortunate incidences of physical assaults on doctors, it is important to appreciate the underlying “real” cause of attacks on doctors and to think why even the most peace-loving and law-abiding citizen occasionally breaks down and takes law into his own hands after seeing his loved one suffer horrific death as a result of negligence and uncaring treatment. Our medical and political leaders need to ponder as to why nobody in developed countries like UK and USA can ever imagine patient-party attacking doctor after losing their loved one due to medical malpractice. It is only because ordinary people in these countries have trust on the medical justice delivery system and know that the errant doctors would receive harsh punishment by the medical council as well as judiciary if they were involved with “medical negligence” or unethical behavior. The picture is exactly opposite in India as medical councils primarily work only to shield their errant medical colleagues without caring for the lives of the defenseless patients. Until the deeply flawed medical regulatory system in India is completely revamped and the corrupt doctor-members are replaced with honest and compassionate doctors to give justice to the victims of medical negligence, unfortunate incidence of doctor bashing is likely to continue in India. PBT has submitted a memorandum to Bengal CM expressing concerns and these obvious reasons (see below).
CM Memorandum (Apr 2, 2018) Doctor attacks
