In his reply, Nadda said as per constitutional provisions, ‘Health’ and ‘Law and Order’ are state subjects and, therefore, it is the primary responsibility of the concerned state governments to take appropriate action to prevent violence against medical professionals including the imposition of penalties or setting up helplines to extend immediate help to such medical professionals who are victims of violence.Highlighting that violence against medical professionals is a criminal offence, Nadda said it is required to be dealt with by the state and UT governments under provisions in the BNS and BNSS so that medical professionals can discharge their professional pursuits without fear of violence. He said the central government had taken several measures to prevent violence against medical professionals and bring about a sense of security among medical professionals on duty.Nadda said this includes issuing advisories in this regard to all state governments to consider the security of sensitive hospitals to be managed by a designated and trained force; installation of CCTV cameras and round-the-clock Quick Reaction Teams with practical communication/security gadgets, particularly in casualty, emergency and areas having high footfalls; well-equipped centralised control room for monitoring and quick response; entry restriction for undesirable persons; institutional FIR against assaulters; and display of legislation protecting medical professionals in every hospital and police station.He said the government has also communicated these measures with the states.Several cases have been reported from different states of attacks on medical professionals by angry patients or their relatives. In May 2023, a 23-year-old Kerala doctor was stabbed to death by a patient at Kottarakkara Taluk Hospital. The murder sparked outrage, particularly among healthcare professionals, who demanded stringent legal action against those committing such acts of violence against doctors and other healthcare workers.
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