The general consensus is that doctors and hospitals are blamed when the results of treatment to a patient is not This has become an issue of concern among all the stakeholders — family members of patients, doctors and hospital staff.
Of late there have been many incidents of attack on doctors and private hospitals by the relatives of patients following unexpected deaths of patients.
Some doctors allege that police register cases against them and invoke Section 304(A) (causing death by negligence) without following due procedure — mostly to avoid a law and order problems.
With the objective of helping the medical professionals, the Indian Medical Association — Nursing Home Board (IMA NHB), Tamil Nadu state branch, held a regional meeting in Coimbatore.
The meeting highlighted the factors that will ensure healthy relationship between doctors and patients; the police need to be sensitised about the Supreme Court judgment which states that no medical professional can be arrested under 304(A) without prima facie evidence of gross negligence, which has to be certified by a team of experts in the same field as the case of a death of a patient; relatives should be aware that the law prevents attacking the property of medical professionals (or) a medical establishment and those trying to do so can be arrested under non-bailable sections; professionals in the healthcare sector and the relatives should be aware of the procedures for post-mortem in cases of suspicious deaths.
Further, proper monitoring of prescribed treatment standards in hospitals will help in preventing attacks on the medical professionals, the speakers said at the meeting.
(reporting by R. Sairam)
