The Kerala High Court has observed that every harm, intimidation, obstruction, or hindrance to a health care service person, in the discharge of duty, is treated as violence and should be curbed.
Justice Bechu Kurian Thomas made the observation while dismissing an anticipatory bail plea by P. Arun, an accused in a case registered in connection with the attack on a doctor at the Pattambi Taluk Hospital.
The court said that attacks on doctors and medical institutions had been on an unprecedented rise in the last decade and a half. Mindful of the pernicious effect of such acts, Kerala had pioneered in enacting a law on violence against doctors. The Kerala Healthcare Service Persons and Healthcare Service Institutions (Prevention of Violence and Damage to Property) Act was enacted to prohibit violence against health care service personnel and prevent damage and loss to property in health care service institutions, the court noted.
The court said that if pre-arrest bail was granted to the petitioner, a wrong message would also be sent to the public.
