Seminar on violence against doctors/medico-legal problems

Mon, Jan 6, 2014 at 2:34 PM

180 doctors participated in the seminar

Ludhiana: 6 Jan 2014: (Punjab Screen Bureau):

Doctos’ Circle conducted a seminar on CPA, Violence against doctors and other medico-legal problems affecting the doctors. 180 doctors participated in the seminar. Dr OPS Kande, member executive committee & disciplinary committee and chairman medico-legal cell of Punjab Medical Council was the Chief Guest. Dr RK Sharma, President IMA Ludhiana was the Guest of Honour.

Dr Mahesh Baldwa, MBBS, DCH, MD,LLB,LLM and PhD Law in his address to the doctors emphasized on the following points

1.      That doctors should treat the patients in a systematic manner by getting all investigations and should not treat any patient just by the impression that the patient is suffering from a simple disease. He gave examples that patients of simple headache given pain killers without investigations later became serious and died similarly he gave examples about pain killers given for simple pain  upper abdomen which later spread to chest and proved to be heart attack.

2.      Medical records be maintained properly in detail and doctor should note down what is the thought process of the doctor treating the patient. Formats of the stationary about record keeping were distributed to the delegates.

3.      Law does not require a doctor to be the best but it requires that proper care has been taken, cross consultation should be obtained when in doubt and patient be referred if the situation requires to be so.

4.      Should not give the medicines of pathies you have not studied for example allopathic doctors should never give medicines of Ayurved a etc as this may delay proper investigations and complicate the illness.

5.      Doctors should install security cameras to record misbehavior or assault by unscrupulous persons as this has become now an unavailable offence and heavy penalties are being levied against these miscreants.

Dr Satish Nauhria, Convener, said that doctors can give proper services only if their minds are at peace and they are able to apply their full mind to the problems of the patient and that no one should believe that doctors are having magical powers to cure the patients who have delayed their diseases by ignoring these.

Advocate AK Jindle in his speech said that doctors should spend time to make them conversant with the laws concerning them and follow them in letter and spirit, this will be their biggest saving factor.

Dr Narotam Dewan, President Doctors’ Circle said that doctors religiously dedicate their lives to the service of the ill. Doctors let their lives, their comforts, their quality time be consumed by this noble profession. For us, the doctors, the well being of the patients comes before family and commercial considerations we practice our profession with consciousness and dignity. Doctors treat the patients as first & foremost with compassion, human dignity and respect the rights of the patients. He said that The inputs for making of a doctor, clinic or a hospital have sky rocketed. The money, efforts, commitment, need for documentation and laws governing the medical practice have increased many folds in recent times.

Dr Dewan said that Giving healthcare is no easy job, had it been so than Government would have fulfilled its commitment of ‘Health for all by 2000’. Our Government is signatory to the declaration of Alma Ata, signed by our Government in 1978 which had the goal of Complete Physical, Mental & Social well being for all citizens by 2000. In such a scenario the private doctors and medical establishments are bearing the responsibility to fill the gap and take care to the ill of our society at the cost affordable to them.

The Government gives subsidized land, grants and many other facilities to big corporate hospitals which promise but never provide charitable services. The cost of treatment in these hospitals with fancy buildings is prohibitive. On the other hand patient has the opportunity of an easy approach to the doctors of private nursing homes and clinics who listen to their economic and social difficulties and almost invariably give them discounts and concessions.

Dr Sanjeev Uppal, Dr Iqbal Ahuja, Dr Parveen Poplli, Dr ND Avesthy, Dr Rajeev Gupta, Dr JL Bassi chaired the sessions. 180 doctors participated in the discussions held at seminar.