The Court heard the plea again today after six months from the last hearing and said that it was under a legitimate impression that things had gotten better, at least when it came to violence against doctors and healthcare professionals.
However, the counsel submitted that in the past 12 months, there were over 138 attacks on healthcare workers, i.e., 11-12 attacks every month.
The Court said that these crimes against health professionals were happening because the attackers could be under the impression that the process of law is slow and action won’t be taken against hospitals or authorities.
“We are hence guided to believe, prima facie, that it is perhaps because citizens get the impression that the processes of law are slow and that they would not be taken to task, that such recurrent occurrences happen. The fact that the government hospital system is overwhelmed and that the number of patients are escalating by the day, are common knowledge. Unless the doctors and healthcare professionals are able to act in peace and calm, it would become impossible for the system itself to sustain,” the order said.
The Court, therefore, directed that FIRs be registered within an hour of receiving such complaints about attacks.
It also asked the government to publicize the gravity of the offence and punishment for attacks on doctors.
The matter will be taken up next on December 16.
Source: Barandbench
