IMA decries attacks against docs, stage protests

HYDERABAD: Senior doctors of Indian Medical Association (IMA) and other members protested against the violence against doctors during Covid-19 pandemic here on Friday.

The manner in which doctors in emergency rooms and those treating Covid-19 patients were attacked was acrimonious, they said, adding that the doctors were blamed for no fault of theirs. The protesting doctors wore black badges, black shirts and black masks to protest the violence against them.

They protested for a few minutes in hospitals, outpatient departments and the IMA building in Koti and also gave their representation to the director-general of police M Mahender Reddy.

Dr Lav Kumar Reddy, president, IMA, TS chapter, said, "Attack on doctors must be a non-bailable offence. Covid-19 is a new disease which is evolving and blaming doctors does not help. Doctors died in both the first and second waves and some of them succumbed while treating patients."

In a meeting with various dignitaries from the non-medical sector, it was noted that there were attacks also by educated people on doctors. There were also planned attacks as was noted in a recent case in Hyderabad where a doctor was blamed for the critical status of the patient.

It was pointed out that this kind of behaviour was unbecoming and there must be strict rules which would deter people from taking these steps.

Members of both the medical and non-medical fraternity urged the government to take strict action to protect doctors and to ensure that emergency wards of all hospitals must have a security mechanism in place for their protection.