IMA moots protection for docs treating accident victims

AHMEDABAD: The Indian Medical Association (IMA) has recommended to the Centre that doctors treating accident victims not be exposed to criminal liability. Instead, the government should reimburse them for treating unidentified victims, the IMA has said.

The Centre is preparing a new health policy, a draft of which will be put in the public domain in the first week of January. This time, the government has assured the IMA that it will be consulted for policy drafting and not just for implementation.

“Any doctor refusing to attend to an accident victim must face disciplinary action according to the Medical Council of India guidelines,” said Dr K K Aggarwal, the honorary secretary general of IMA. “And the reason we’ve suggested that doctors admitting accident victims be reimbursed for medical expenses is to encourage other doctors to follow.” Aggarwal was in the city to attend the 89th national conference, IMA Natcon 2014, which concluded on Sunday.

Annually 1.37 lakh people die on the roads and the number of injured is around 5 lakh. Doctors point out that at least 50% of fatalities can be averted if victims are admitted to a hospital within the first one hour of an accident.

Aggarwal said the association has issued a notification to medicos directing them not to drink and smoke in public.