IMA expresses concern over kidnapping of doctors

Expressing concern over some recent incidents of kidnapping of doctors, Indian Medical Association (IMA) today said that it is preparing a draft bill proposing measures to prevent violence against medical practitioners and institutions for government's consideration.
Addressing a press conference here, IMA's National President A Marthanda Pillai and Secretary General K K Aggarwal said governments of 18 states have passed ordinances on Prevention of Violence and Damages or Loss of Property against violence on doctors and medical establishments.
"The time has now come for the central government to enact the same.... The IMA is preparing a draft bill for submission to Government of India to enact the same at the earliest," an IMA statement said.

R B Choudhury, a doctor from Gumla district in Jharkhand, was kidnapped from his clinic on April 30.
He was found dead on May 4.
Another doctor from Bihar, Pankaj Gupta was abducted along with his wife on May 1. The couple is still untraceable.

The IMA office bearers demanded Choudhury's case to be probed at the earliest and demanded the investigation to be handed over to the Crime Branch or CBI.
They also demanded Gupta's case to be solved immediately.
Doctors in Jharkhand and Bihar have gone on strike and have been staging several protests.
In its statement, IMA also said that it will be forced to go on a nationwide protest, if the above cases are not solved and the central act is not enacted by the government.