SUBHASH MISHRA
Ranchi, Oct 29: The newly formed Jharkhand Medical Association (JMA) has expressed deep concern over the increasing incidents of violence against doctors and healthcare facilities in the state, stating that the Medical Protection Act (MPA) alone cannot ensure doctors’ safety without proper policing and preventive action.
‘Police Act Only After Violence Happens’: JMA President
JMA president Dr Sidheshwar Baskey said that both the government and police tend to take action only after doctors are attacked or hospitals are vandalised.
“If a preventive measure such as a police picket is set up at hospitals, such incidents would not occur in any part of the state,” Dr Baskey said.
He added that the association had written twice to the Chief Minister and the Health Minister regarding the security demands of doctors but had yet to receive a response.
“We will soon send a third letter. If the government fails to act, doctors may take to the streets if any future assault occurs against medical professionals,” Dr Baskey warned.
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JMA Calls for Entry Control and Limited Attendant Policy
Dr Baskey said all government and private hospitals in Jharkhand are registered under the Clinical Establishments Act (CEA), making it the government’s responsibility to ensure their safety.
Apart from police deployment, JMA has also demanded the introduction of an entry-card system at hospitals and a restriction on the number of attendants allowed with patients, to help reduce the risk of violence.
JMA’s Role in Ranchi Sadar Hospital Assault Case
Highlighting a recent success, Dr Baskey claimed that JMA’s intervention helped ensure the arrest of the assailants involved in the assault of a doctor at Ranchi Sadar Hospital last month.
“The state government and district administration acted within 24 hours after JMA’s statement, leading to the arrest of the attackers,” he said.
Association Represents Both Government and Private Practitioners
Dr Baskey explained that JMA includes members from both government and private healthcare sectors, as well as practitioners of homoeopathy and other alternative systems of medicine.
He added that the membership drive is currently underway and that the association will soon hold its first state convention.
Notably, Dr Sidheshwar Baskey founded the Jharkhand Medical Association earlier this year, following the January elections of the Jharkhand State Health Services Association (JSHSA).
