Daijiworld Media Network – Kundapur (SP)

Kundapur, Nov 9: President of the local unit of Indian Medical Association (IMA), Dr Dineshkumar Shetty, has condemned the increasing attempts at undermining the morale of the doctors in cases in which patients succumb to diseases, injuries etc. “There are more and more incidents in which people who claim themselves to be the relatives of the affected patients, behave indecently, damage equipment and facilities at hospitals, etc,” he noted.

Addressing a press conference in the town on the evening of Tuesday November 8, Dr Shetty pointed out that as per The Karnataka Prohibition of Violence Against Medicare Service Personnel and Damage to Property in Medicare Service Institutions Act 2009, such acts are punishable offences. “We have undertaken in-depth investigation into a recent case in which negligence of doctors was alleged in case of a puerperal woman in a private hospital here. We have not found any evidence of negligence, dereliction of duty, deficiency of service on the part of doctors etc in this incident. If the concerned still feel that they have faced injustice, they are free to fight the case legally. It is improper to resort to violence against doctors and other staff in the name of protest,” he said.

Dr Shetty noted that there is a separate section that attends to the rights of the patients, and that the patients or their relatives can make use of the same. He said IMA condemns any act in which people take law unto their hands in the name of protests, attempts to fleece people, resorting to pressure tactics etc. “For doctors, patients are like their own kin, and attending to their health needs becomes the primary duty of the doctors.  IMA supports legal measures in all cases where violation of rights takes place,” he clarified.

Dr Umesh Bhat and Dr K S Karant, office bearers of IMA, were present at the press conference.