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Says the government should finally sit up and take notice of the issues plaguing this noble profession and work towards resolving them
New Delhi, June 29, 2017: In what can be called another ray of hope in IMA’s collective voice and stand against the atrocities faced by the medical fraternity, Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed one of the most pertinent issues that the Association is fighting for– that of increasing violence against doctors and those in the medical profession. IMA lauded the PM’s stand on the issue in his speech on the occasion of the centenary celebrations of Sabarmati Ashram in Gujarat.
In his speech, the Hon’ble Prime Minister expressed his disbelief and angst on the fact that the people of a country that reveres the proponent of non-violence, Mahatma Gandhi, should act against doctors and indulge in violence against them. Calling doctors as life givers, Mr Modi said that the country’s collective consciousness needs a drastic change.
Speaking about this, Padma Shri Awardee Dr K K Aggarwal, National President Indian Medical Association (IMA) and President Heart Care Foundation of India (HCFI) and Dr RN Tandon – Honorary Secretary General IMA in a joint statement, said, “The efforts of the IMA have come full circle today with one of the pertinent issues being addressed by the Prime Minister himself. We are grateful to him for taking notice and speaking in our favor. Violence against doctors is unacceptable and any such act should be made a punishable, non-bailable offence with imprisonment of up to 14 years. There should also be a stringent central act to this effect. These are tough times for the medical profession at large with its nobility and integrity at stake. It is important to understand that doctors are also human beings and not healing angels. Once treatment is administered, the recuperation of a patient depends upon physical and organic factors. It is unacceptable and absurd to victimize the medical practitioner if the patient does not respond to treatment.”
The IMA recently concluded a nationwide campaign against the many issues facing the medical community. These led up to the Dilli Chalo movement which saw participation from doctors all over India, in large numbers, both in person and digitally through live web casts. The fact that the movement started with the blessings of Mahatma Gandhi at Rajghat was symbolic of IMA’s silent but strong support for non-violence.
Adding further, Dr Aggarwal, said, “Both doctors and patients should understand the sanctity of their relationship. The dignity of the profession needs to be upheld. It won’t be wrong to say that justice has been denied to doctors even within the framework of the constitution of India. The sole aim of all the protests is to serve as a wake-up call to the government for urgent action. And this address by the Hon’ble Prime Minister is definitely a positive step in that direction.”
While there need to be stringent security measures to curb violence against doctors, strengthening the doctor-patient relationship is also imperative. The need of the hour is accountability and openness which will further lead to a restoration of trust in the doctor-patient relationship.
