Mobile apps for protection of doctors

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Indian Medical Association (IMA) is working on a special app which will alert law enforcement authorities in case of an attack on hospitals or doctors. The app is being designed in such a way that a message will be transmitted to the state police chief, district police chief, circle inspector and the sub inspector of the police station concerned as well as office-bearers the organisation in the event of an incident of violence in a hospital, giving details of the location of incident, nature of attack and need for help. “We are requesting the police to play a more proactive role,” said Dr A.V. Jayakrishnan, former state president of IMA. “The police should be able to respond to an attack on a hospital or a medical professional in the minimum possible time. From our side we are taking all precautions and we expect similar involvement from the side of the law enforcing agencies.”

The IMA has already discussed the proposal with the government officials’ concerned and the mechanism will be put in place in a couple of months. The government has assured all cooperation to the venture, he said. Doctors say ensuring protection for medical institutions and medical professionals is important from the patients’ point of view as well. In case if such attacks go unchecked many hospitals and doctors might even be forced not to accept critical cases especially those involved in road accidents. Referring such patients to other hospitals during the “golden period” could prove fatal for such patients, they point out.

IMA office-bearers said that the Centre was also planning to bring a stringent law on providing protection to medical institutions and professionals. Most attacks in hospital premises take place at the trauma care centres or casualty wings. The lack of communication between doctors and relatives of patients, proper briefing about the patient’s condition often leads to clashes. Under the plan to modernise trauma centres, the government has now decided to place big digital display screens outside the waiting areas to provide details of the patient’s condition at regular interval. A similar protocol is followed internationally to deal with such issues.