Excelsior Correspondent
SRINAGAR, May 13: As the High Court has sought its opinion from Doctors Association Kashmir on Healthcare Service Personnel and Clinical Establishments (Prohibition of Violence and Damage to Property) Bill, 2019, the DAK president Nissarul Hassan has said that if implemented as such it will hurt the interests of the patients and provide immunity to wrongdoers.
In his repose to the court, the DAK president has said that the Act would allow law enforcement agencies to threaten patients and provide safeguards and immunity to wrongdoers.
“And hence it does not mean that the person who is at the receiving end should be maltreated and should be threatened by enforcement of stringent laws which provide safeguards and immunity to wrongdoers”, he said.
He said that the law will be a deterrent to the doctor-patient relationship and it will deepen the wedge between the doctors and patients. “The people will avoid using healthcare centers with a sense of threat in their minds and this situation is not absolutely the aim of any law”, he said.
“Patients are not treated with dignity and respect in hospitals. People feel alienated by the non-committal attitude and professional distance, they encounter at health institutions,” he said, adding, “failure to take into account patient concerns and expectations, lack of warmth and friendliness on part of medical professionals leaves patients dissatisfied with the care they receive in hospitals.”
He said that inappropriate behavior from medical personnel has created mistrust among people that precipitates medical disputes leading to patient resentment towards healthcare providers.
Dr Nisar said that medical ethics has been ignored and code of medical ethics brought out by Medical Council of India is nothing but a compendium of clicks.
“There is a strong need to incorporate medical ethics in medical curriculum and introduce training of medicos on ethical guidelines”, he said.
“Another reason for medical conflicts is poor communication from doctors. Patients leave hospitals dissatisfied as doctors do not spend time in talking, listening and more importantly hearing them”, DAK response to court reads.
He said that at t hospitals, attendants of patients are doing most jobs that hospital staff ought to be doing. “From cleaning, feeding, laundry to administering medicines, attendants do everything for their patients”, he said.
He said that hospital environment is uncomfortable and distressing which is pushing patients in despair. “Uncleanliness, poor food and noisy environment are adding to the woes of patients. There is no privacy in wards which makes patients uncomfortable and communication difficult between patients and doctors”, he said.
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