IMA President expresses anguish over Assam doctor assault, demands hospitals to be declared as 'protective zones'

New Delhi [India], June 2 : Indian Medical Association President Dr JA Jayalal on Wednesday expressed anguish over the incident in which a doctor was assaulted in Assam's Hojai district and demanded that the Central Government should declare hospitals as a "protective zone".
"Indian Medical Association and the whole fraternity of the country are saddened and anguished to see the brutal attack on the young and vibrant doctor Dr Seuj Kumar Senapati. This is the time government should do something to save the morale and health of doctors. Otherwise, the morale of doctors will go down and they will not try to take any serious cases," Dr Jayalal said.
"On one side, people are commenting badly on doctors, and on the other side, people physically assaulting doctors. Hospitals should be announced as a protected zone so that the security of doctors will be there. We demand stringent action to prevent such incidents," he added. IMA president
Speaking further, he said: "We are repeatedly asking Central government to enact a Central law with IPC 10 and stringent implementation of it. Hospitals should be announced as a protective zone so that the safety and security of the doctors are ensured."
Dr Seuj Kumar Senapati, posted at COVID-19 facility in Assam's Hojai district was attacked by a mob on Tuesday following a patient's death. Following the incident, the Indian Medical Association (IMA) on Tuesday wrote to Union Home Minister Amit Shah seeking an effective and strong law "against healthcare violence".
As many as 24 people have been arrested in connection with the thrashing of a doctor in Assam's Hojai district, informed Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Wednesday.