On Tuesday, representatives of various doctors’ associations in the city met Union health minister Dr. Harsh Vardhan and discussed their concern about increasing attacks on doctors across the country, among the other issues.

Quoting the recent lynching of a 71-year-old doctor from Assam, IMA’s immediate past president Dr. Rajan Sancheti said the main subject was about increasing violence against doctors in the country and how to handle it.

Dr. Sancheti said that the doctors demanded an increase in the penalty from five years’ imprisonment to ten years for anyone who abuses or attacks doctors or damages nursing homes and hospital properties. The minister assured to consider this suggestion and discuss it in Rajya Sabha. Other issues discussed were to make the Pre-Conception and Pre-Natal Diagnostic Techniques Act, 1994 (PCPNDT Act) more “doctor-friendly” by preventing misuse by local authorities.

Dr. Harsh Vardhan also updated the doctors on the National medical commission bill, 2019 and steps to increase post-graduate medical seats in the country to improve the doctor-patient ratio. The meeting included representatives of Indian Medical Association (Pune), Pune Radiology Association and General Practitioners Association of Pune.