The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh / Hyderabad News : House-surgeons to be treated as government servants

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, Dec 18, 2007
ePaper

Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh - Hyderabad

House-surgeons to be treated as government servants

Special Correspondent

Ordinance will also protect nurses and para-medical staff in hospitals

Photo: Mohd. Yousuf

Seeking justice: Government doctors raising slogans during a demonstration held under the aegis of Andhra Pradesh Government Doctors’ Association at Gandhi Hospital in Hyderabad on Monday. —

HYDERABAD: The Cabinet on Monday cleared a draft ordinance to protect doctors, nurses and para-medical staff in hospitals, both government and private, from intimidation and attacks by outsiders.

The ordinance, named AP Medicare Service Persons & Medical Service Institutions (Prevention of Violence & Damage to Properties) 2007 Ordinance, will make all acts of violence or intimidation on any medical worker in a hospital - doctor, nurse or para-medical staff - a cognizable offence and non-bailable. On prosecution, the offender will be punished with a three-year jail-term.

The Government has brought house-surgeons, post-graduate students and nurses on training in hospitals under the purview of the ordinance to offer protection to them too.

For this purpose, they will be treated as “government servants” on a par with Government staff, Information Minister A. Ramanarayan Reddy told reporters.

It also resolved to constitute grievance cells in all hospital headed by the highest authority in the premises, to attend to complaints from public, if any, against a negligent doctor or lack of care shown to a patient. The cells would function 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Attackers to pay

Another interesting feature is that the cost of the damage caused to the property and equipment of the hospital during attacks would be recovered from the attackers under Revenue Recovery Act.

Answering a question, the Minister, however, ruled out possibility of giving arms to doctors and para-medical staff as demanded, saying issuing of arms was covered by a different Act.

If any doctors faced threat, he should apply for weapon through the normal route.

Irrigation projects

A proposal to take up 11 medium and 59 minor irrigation projects under Rs 1,137 crore project with Japan Bank for International Cooperation funds was approved.

The Cabinet approved a proposal to transfer powers and functions to the local bodies pertaining to agriculture, animal husbandry, fisheries, rural development, drinking water, primary education, health, sanitation, family welfare, social welfare, BC welfare, and women/childe welfare to local bodies with the release of funds from January 2008.

In line with the Central Disaster Management Act, the Cabinet decided to constitute a State Disaster Management Authority with Chief Minister as its chairman and the Ministers of Revenue, Home, Finance, Health, Major Irrigation, Roads & Buildings and Panchayat Raj as members and Chief Secretary as it member-convener.

District-level committees headed by Collectors will also be formed.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Andhra Pradesh