In the wake of attacks on doctors, Resident Doctors Association demand setting up of State Level Legal Cell

Bengaluru: The Karnataka Association of Resident Doctors have registered their resentment against the attacks on the doctors and have demanded the formation of a State Level Legal Cell to fight the cases of assault on health care workers.

In a letter to the chief minister B.S Yediyurappa the Association stated that the health care workers have been adhering to the working pattern, nature and guidelines set up by the State government. However, it was sad to note that there have been more than 12 cases of registered incidents of assault on healthcare workers in the past 8 to 10 months, while the unnoticed, unregistered assaults and also incidents of verbal abuse threats and hampering the duties to be discharged by the duty doctors can amount to hundreds.

"When we look back to these incidents, since the past few years the greatest hurdles in penalizing the culprit is that the resident doctors or health care workers do not have a legal back up to fight the cases. Fighting these cases at an individual level is the greatest pain a doctor can go through. When the incidents happen when we are still compliant to the medical ethics and standard treatment protocols when we are working for the people and for the government, it is also duly the responsibility of the government to ensure such incidents don't happen and make sure culprits are legally punished. All these years there have not been a legal system established at the government level to fight this injustice that happened to healthcare workers," the statement read.

The Association further pointed out that the vicious cycle of these incidents followed by symbolic protests and FIR registration and legal hassles have been going on for decades. It believes that in the background of this the demand for the formation of "State Level Legal Cell" is a onetime solution for the long standing problem of assault on healthcare.

"Any exploitation of our right to safety is the exploitation of our basic fundamental right. We are also urging the Government of Karnataka to take all necessary measures to put a halt to such untoward incidents by forming a state level legal cell. We are very hopeful that the same would be formed within the period of around next 3 weeks. Any threat to our

the right to safety and the right to discharge our duties will not be tolerated. Considering the current pioneers in the government of Karnataka we are very hopeful that our demand would be met," the letter to the CM read.