Task force to look into doctors' safety in Karnataka, submit report in a month: Dinesh Gundu Rao

Bengaluru: A task force will be constituted to look into the measures needed for doctors' safety and will submit the report within a month, state health minister Dinesh Gundu Rao said on Tuesday.

He was speaking at the Vidhana Soudha in Bengaluru after a meeting with representatives of associations of medical personnel and health department officials, in light of the Kolkata trainee doctor's rape-murder case.

"Several women work in the field of medicine and healthcare and the government is committed to protect them. The task force will look into all the measures and laws to be implemented for doctors' safety and submit a report within a month," he said.

Representatives of at least ten medical associations were present at the meeting, all of whom emphasised the need for greater security for both doctors and paramedical staff.

Gundu Rao added that representatives of the medical associations and senior officials from the state health department will be part of the task force.

Stakeholders in the meeting also discussed increasing CCTV camera coverage in campuses, ensuring adequate lighting everywhere, giving wrist bands with emergency buttons to all installing panic buttons and pink boxes for complaints, having PoSH (Prevention of Sexual Harassment) committees in all hospitals, especially government teaching hospitals.

The discussions in the meeting also explored the possibility of allowing women doctors to leave hospitals early and ensuring that at least another colleague accompanied them if they work late hours.

On August 19, amendments to the Karnataka Prohibition of Violence Against Medicare Service Personnel and Damage to Property in Medicare Service Institutions Act, 2009 (Karnataka Act 01 of 2009) were notified after the state Governor's assent.

The amendment now prohibits any intentional insult of healthcare professionals in any medical institution, either directly or through social media posts or unauthorised audio/video recordings.

Additionally, the imprisonment period for assault has been increased from three to seven years and the fine has been extended to a maximum of Rs 2 lakh. The punishment for intentional insult is up to three months in prison or a fine up to Rs 10,000.