Close on the heels of the recent agitation over the safety and security of doctors following the Kolkata rape and murder of a post-graduate student doctor, a case of a patient allegedly misbehaving and manhandling a doctor at the Casualty ward of the Goa Medical College Hospital and Hospital (GMCH) at Bambolim has come to light. The patient was reportedly found by the roadside in an inebriated state. The Indian Medical Association (IMA) Goa has demanded strict central laws and action on violence against doctors so that the culprits are immediately arrested. The Prevention of Violence Against Healthcare Professionals and Clinical Establishments Bill, 2022 needs to be implemented. The government is implementing crucial changes at GMCH, including the installation of security cameras and revising laws to better protect doctors. The government may promulgate an ordinance or bring in a bill in the next assembly session aiming at the safety of medical staff in government and private hospitals. Despite all these steps, the misbehaviour and alleged manhandling of a doctor at the Casualty ward of GMC comes as a shocker and calls for enhanced security for the members of the medical profession.
