The union Director General of Health Services (DGHS) met with representatives of doctors’ associations to come up with measures to prevent persistent violence against healthcare providers.
A central act making violence against healthcare worker punishable was suggested by the doctors and nurses present in the meeting.
A previous attempt in 2019 to draft a similar law that made violence against doctors punishable by up to 10 years imprisonment was stalled after home ministry said a special law was not feasible as health is a state subject.
Dr Sunil Kumar, the director general of health services, stressed on preventing overcrowding of patients and relatives, filling up of vacancies, and allowing nurses to optimise their work, according to the representatives of Federation of All India Medical Association (FAIMA) present in the meeting.