Violence Against Doctors: Pune Police Commissioner Issues SOP for handling cases
Pune: Pune Police Commissioner Amitesh Kumar has issued a circular comprising a comprehensive Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) to all police stations to tackle violence against medical professionals and the vandalization of hospital properties by patients and their families. The move seeks to ensure the safety and security of healthcare providers and institutions.
The new SOPs are part of a broader initiative to enhance the protection of medical staff and infrastructure. This came after IMA representatives met Police Commissioner, Amitesh Kumar and aired their concerns regarding the cases of violence against doctors. Following this, Kumar has issued a circular for strict effective implementation of SOPs and sent it to all the police stations.
The SoP also mentioned that culprits can be held as per the Maharashtra Medicare Service Persons and Medicare Service Institutions (Prevention of Violence and Damage or Loss to Property) Act, 2010 for acts of violence against on-duty doctors.
Talking to Medical Dialogues, Dr Sunil Ingale, chairman of the action committee, IMA Pune, said, “There has been instances when kin of patient resorts to violence on the pretext of medical negligence, overcharging, delays in treatment or lack of availability of bed. They harass the doctors on flimsy grounds. Though we welcome the SoPs, the problem lies in the fact that Kin of patients also force police to write FIRs and even detain the doctor but Cops are aware of the SOPs that have to be followed while handling complaints against doctors. According to a Supreme Court verdict, no doctor can be arrested for medical negligence until it is proven by a medical expert committee. But many police station do not know that yet. Hence, issuing clear instructions is a significant step towards ensuring a secure working environment for doctors and maintaining the integrity of healthcare services”.
Dr Sanjay Patil, chairman of the Hospital Board of India, Pune Chapter, and secretary of the Hospital Board of India state chapter, shared insights into the new measures. He emphasized that the guidelines provided to the police department must be rigorously adhered to when dealing with complaints related to medical negligence.
Speaking to Medical Dialogues, Dr Patil outlined that the SOP includes a mandate for a safety audit and requires hospitals to implement essential security measures. These include the installation of adequate CCTV cameras and the deployment of necessary security personnel to prevent and respond to potential threats. “The representatives of IMA also urged for adopting a code for acts of violence inside hospital premises. Though it has not been included in the SOP yet, authorities are contemplating it. As per the circulars, all hospitals need to register their phone number or mobile number to the respective police station and senior officials and be in touch with them regularly to solve the problems faced by them.”
“If the hospital gets an idea of any impending situation that might affect the law and order, they should immediately inform the police station. In case of sudden death of a patient and any mob lynching scenario that may follow, hospitals can request manpower from police in advance to ensure safety and security. The SOP ensures that police officers are well-equipped and trained to handle cases involving medical professionals and hospital facilities," Dr Patil stated.
