Dr Bhanushali Calls for Stronger Central Act on Medical Negligence

Hyderabad: Dr Dilip Bhanushali, the president of the Indian Medical Association, on Saturday dealt several issues faced by the medical fraternity and way forward.

"The RG Kar incident has shaken our collective consciousness and we need to work for a strong Central Act, both as a deterrent as well as an effective instrument to punish the guilty in a time bound manner,” Dr Bhanusali said at the event.

“Moreover, the Clinical establishment Act (CEA) in its present form is taking a toll on clinics, nursing homes and small hospitals and needs an urgent relook.”

He said that as was done in a few states, these categories of health establishments need to be exempted from the CEA.

“Decriminalisation of medical negligence, reestablishment of the sacred doctor-patient relationship and augmentation of government investment in healthcare should be our priority," Dr Bhanushali said.

The IMA’s two-day 99th Annual All India Medical Conference saw the participation of about 2,000 delegates from across the country. The conference saw 70 lectures alongside 100+ scientific paper submissions.

The IMA central council discussed several issues and passed resolutions. Two memorandum of understandings were signed during the meeting.