Union Health Ministry To Form Panel To Enhance Security Of Healthcare Workers

The Union Health Ministry on Saturday announced that a committee will be established to recommend measures for enhancing the safety of healthcare professionals. The committee will include representatives from all relevant stakeholders, including state governments, who will be invited to contribute their suggestions.

The ministry has requested the doctors agitating across the country over the alleged rape and killing of a resident doctor at the RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata to resume their duties in the larger public interest and in view of the rising number of dengue and malaria cases.

Representatives of the Federation of Resident Doctors' Association (FORDA), Indian Medical Association (IMA) and resident doctors' associations of government medical colleges and hospitals of Delhi met the Union health minister in the wake of the Kolkata incident.

The associations have put forth their demands regarding the safety and security of healthcare workers at their workplaces, the ministry said in a statement.

The ministry has heard the demands and assured the doctors' associations of all possible efforts to ensure the security of healthcare professionals. The representatives of the associations were informed that the government is well aware of the situation and sensitive to their demands, the statement said.

It was also observed that 26 states have already passed laws for the protection of healthcare workers.

"In view of the concerns expressed by the associations, the ministry assured them of constituting a committee to suggest all such possible measures for ensuring the safety of healthcare professionals.

"Representatives of all stakeholders, including the state governments, will be invited to share their suggestions with the committee," the statement said.

Reacting to the development, the Indian Medical Association (IMA) said it is studying the statement released by the health ministry assuring doctors of all possible efforts to ensure their safety and offering to form a committee to suggest measures for the same.

The IMA said it will respond to it after careful consideration of all aspects and consultations with its state branches.

"IMA recalls an Office Memorandum dated March 23, 2017 by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, GoI, co-signed by the ministry officials and IMA, assuring to explore the possibility to initiate the process to bring a central Act on the said issue in line with those in vogue in other states," it said in a statement.