'Centre should bring law to protect doctors from assault'

The Delhi Medical Association on Monday urged the central government to bring a strong law to protect medical practitioners from physical assault while on duty.

In a letter written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the association's president Ajay Lekhi also said that police have not increased their personnel at government hospitals despite state orders.

"Even if the Delhi medicare services personnel and medicare institutions Act 2008 was duly notified to prevent such incidents and made assault on doctors, while on duty, a non-bailable offence, the police is not aware of it," said the letter.

Two recent incidents of assault include an attack on a medical practitioner by the relatives of a 80-year-old patient at a government hospital in Allahabad and another where an eye specialist was assaulted by singer Mika Singh during a cultural programme at a Delhi government hospital.