Health ministry invites suggestions on draft legislation bill seeking to prevent violence against doctors

The Union Health Ministry is seeking suggestions from the public within 30 days on the draft legislation titled - The Health Services Personal and Clinical Establishments (Prohibition of violence and damage to property) Bill, 2019.

Under this, the ministry has proposed to put a person behind bars with a maximum of 10 years of imprisonment and Rs 10 lakh fine for assaulting a doctor or healthcare personnel.

"With an aim to reduce the increasing incidence of violence against doctors, we are seeking suggestions on draft legislation before finalisation of the draft bill. The objections or suggestions may be forwarded within 30 days. The maximum punishment will be 10 years of imprisonment with Rs 10 lakh fine," an official from the Ministry said.

The proposed legislation is being introduced to address the rise in instances of violence against healthcare service professionals and damage to the property of clinical establishments across the country.

"To protect healthcare service personnel and property of clinical establishments against violence, it has become necessary to prohibit such acts of violence, to provide for punishment by making such acts of violence as cognisable and non-bailable offence and to provide compensation for injury to healthcare service personnel or for causing damage or loss to the property of clinical establishments," an official release read.

"Those who will commit violence and cause grievous hurt as defined in section 320 of the Indian Penal Code to any healthcare service personnel, shall be upon being convicted, be punished with imprisonment for a term which shall not be less than three years, but which may extend to ten years, and with fine, which shall not be less than two lakh rupees, but which may extend to ten lakh rupees," it added.