Doctors resent intimidation, demand legislation for protection of rights
Srinagar: Hours after a doctor on duty was threatened by a cop in South Kashmir’s Qazigund Hospital, medico body, Doctor’s Association of Kashmir (DAK) demanded an immediate legislation to protect the doctors on duty from public and police.
Dr Suhail Naik, President, Doctors Association of Kashmir (DAK), while addressing a press conference here, said that DAK demands an immediate legislation in the upcoming Budget Session of State Legislative Assembly to form a law for the offences committed against doctors.
“There seems to be an urgent need to form such a law which is in place in many states of the country,” Dr Naik said.
“I also appeal Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti to pay heed to our demand, as there is a need to reconsider the already existing laws, as the society has largely evolved since 1947 and 2017,” he added.
Doctors are already under constant pressure from the public and have to face them as well, but now the senior officials and high rank police officials are also behaving in unruly manner, DAK President said.
DAK has already sent a proposal to the government many years ago seeking a law which would made the offences, verbal or physical, against doctors non-billable offense, however, DAK president said that the files are gathering dust in the Secretariat.
“It is not for the first time that we are seeking legislation in this regard, there is already a file in the Secretariat but, unfortunately, our demands have fallen onto deaf ears,” he said.
The hurriedly conveyed presser was in the back drop of the incident that took place at a hospital in South Kashmir’s Bijbehara late hours of Thursday, where a police official had verbally misbehaved and threatened a doctor on duty.
“What is another major worrying scenario that has emerged after the incident in Bijbehara, is that that the female doctors posted in peripheries, are feeling highly insecure while performing their duties,” the DAK President added.
“I am constantly getting calls from my fellow female doctors from different areas that they are feeling insecure, while some are going to the extent of resigning from their duties,” Dr Naik said, adding “this thing should be worrying for us all.”
Dr Naik said that a trend has been observed that the senior government and police officials are “constantly turning ‘hostile’ towards the doctors’ community, which is serious and needs to be taken care of.”
DAK President, while terming the incident as ‘deplorable,’ said that such behaviour was not expected from a senior police official of a particular jurisdiction, he, however, was quick to appreciate the action assured by the police higher ups against the erring police official.
KV Correspondent
