SC asks Centre to respond to plea seeking court direction on increasing attacks on doctors

The Supreme Court on Friday asked the Centre to respond to a plea seeking a direction to it to take immediate and necessary action against people who indulge in violence against medical professionals, such as doctors, and clinical establishments.

The plea, which has also sought a direction to the government to enact a law to create a separate offence for violence against medical professionals and damage to clinical establishments, had come up for hearing before a bench comprising justices N V Ramana and Ajay Rastogi.

The bench issued notices to the Centre and the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare and asked them to file their responses on the plea.

The plea, filed by Association of Healthcare Providers (India) Tamil Nadu chapter and Dr B Kannan, has referred to an ongoing study by the Indian Medical Association and said more than 75 per cent doctors across the country have faced some form of violence.

"The petitioners further submit that as per recent data, there is only one government allopathic doctor for every 10,189 people, one government hospital bed for every 2,046 people and one state-run hospital for every 90,343 people. India has only 10 lakh doctors working in government and private sectors," the plea said.

It said "innumerable incidents" of violence against doctors are being reported across the country and even the premier All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, is not spared.

"However, since no positive action was taken by the local police, the medical fraternity which has become a soft target for hooligans, has been demoralised," the plea said, adding, "Unless such attacks are checked, it can have serious repercussions on patient care."