The Indian Medical Association (IMA) on Friday observed ‘National Protest Day’ demanding a central law to protect doctors against violence.
The slogan of the protest is – ‘Save the Saviour’ and doctors and healthcare workers could be seen across the country with placards stating ‘Stop violence against profession and professionals’.
At the IMA office in Hyderabad, the staff and doctors protested wearing black badges.
State Secretary of IMA Telangana, Dr Narendra Reddy told ANI that violence against doctors should be made a non-bailable offence.
“We had an act in 2008, where violence against the healthcare workers attracts 3 years of jail sentence which is bailable. If the people will attack doctors, they will get scared and will not take up the serious cases,” Dr Reddy said.
“Doctors should be protected. We are the saviours, we save people. We will get scared and run away from our responsibilities. The society will suffer,” he added.
The doctors at All India Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in Delhi also took part in the protest.
General Secretary of IMA, Dr Jayesh Lele said, “IMA is observing June 18 as National Protest Day. We want a central act over violence against the doctors. We have lost at least 1400 doctors while protecting people from the pandemic.”
“The government brought a draft Act regarding violence against the doctors in 2019. We want that to be an Act,” Dr Lele said.
