Another day, another case of violence against a doctor in India.
Violence against healthcare workers has become a common norm in our country. Doctors and other healthcare staff have always been physically and mentally assaulted, and this case from Faridabad is no different.
A doctor was assaulted by the patient and his friends at Civil Hospital Faridabad in Haryana. The incident took place in the early hours of March 12. The entire altercation was captured on a CCTV camera. The video shows the patient even with a dressing on his head, and his friends brutally assaulting the doctor. The unfortunate incident has once again raised questions on issues like security for healthcare workers and laws for violence against doctors.
Dr. Ram Niwas was on his night duty when two men arrived at the emergency ward for treatment. According to the reports, one of them had a head injury, while the other had a nose injury. The doctor immediately provided them with the primary treatment of dressing the wound and giving an injection. The doctor started attending to another patient after that. That didn't go well with the former patients, as they called two of their friends.
The friends arrived and asked the doctor to treat their friends. When the doctor said that he has administered the primary line of treatment, one of the two friends started arguing. When the doctor asked for some decency, one of them allegedly grabbed the doctor by his collar and started to slap and punch him. The other two slapped and kicked the doctor as well.
The hospital staff intervened to separate the doctor from the mob. The four of them threatened the doctor and escaped. The doctor suffered bruises on his body. The incident happened around 2:30 am.
Dr. Ram Niwas lodged an FIR. The police have since arrested three out of the four men. The arrested men identify as Akshay, Sachin, and Vineet Kumar. A case was registered under sections 186, 332, 353, 506, and 34 of the IPC.
India still does not have a national law specific to violence against healthcare professionals. The health ministry invoked the Epidemic Disease Act of 1897 during the pandemic. A small amendment in the act called for a fine of Rs. 50,000 to Rs. 2 lahks and imprisonment for 3 months to 5 years.
However, once the Act is revoked, India will no longer have a national law for violence against healthcare workers.
(Input from various media sources)
