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By:

Quaid Najmi

4 January 2025 at 3:26:24 pm

Plea in HC for fresh polls, new body

Dr. Rumi F. Beramji Mumbai : A senior medical practitioner has knocked on the doors of the Bombay High Court, alleging serious irregularities in the functioning of the Maharashtra Council of Acupuncture (MCA) and challenging the continuation of its current Administrator.   In a petition filed through Advocate Sharad V. Natu, Dr. Laxman Bhimrao Sawant has termed the appointment and prolonged tenure of former MCA Chairman as “illegal and arbitrary,”  and detrimental to the cause of Acupuncture....

Plea in HC for fresh polls, new body

Dr. Rumi F. Beramji Mumbai : A senior medical practitioner has knocked on the doors of the Bombay High Court, alleging serious irregularities in the functioning of the Maharashtra Council of Acupuncture (MCA) and challenging the continuation of its current Administrator.   In a petition filed through Advocate Sharad V. Natu, Dr. Laxman Bhimrao Sawant has termed the appointment and prolonged tenure of former MCA Chairman as “illegal and arbitrary,”  and detrimental to the cause of Acupuncture.   Dr. Beramji, who headed the five-member statutory body 's inaugural term (from May 2018 to May 2023), was subsequently appointed as its Administrator after the council’s term expired.   According to Dr. Sawant’s plea, the Administrator’s appointment was initially meant to be a stop-gap arrangement for one year, and it was ‘extended’ later. However, nearly three years later, the position continues without fresh elections being conducted, raising questions over adherence to statutory norms and principles of governance.   Dr. Sawant has further contended that while Dr. Beramji was installed as Administrator, the remaining members of the council were effectively superseded, leaving the regulatory body without its mandated collective structure, and over 6500-members directionless.   The petition claims that the delay in conducting elections was justified on the grounds of an incomplete voter list, but this reason was flimsy considering the extended time lapse.   The petition, likely to come up for hearing on Tuesday (April 21), also levelled serious allegations regarding the manner in which the MCA has been run under the Administrator. It claims decisions have been taken unilaterally, whimsically and without transparency or institutional accountability.   Besides, Dr. Sawant has made allegations of selective targeting of certain members who have attempted to raise valid issues, including the globally-renowned noted acupuncture expert Dr. P. B. Lohiya of Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar.   Adding to the controversy, a former MCA office-bearer has claimed that over the past three years, approvals were granted to more than a dozen acupuncture colleges in undue haste, purportedly in violation of prescribed norms and alleged shady deals.   These institutions, it is claimed, either exist only on paper or lack essential infrastructure, faculty, and facilities. In addition, around two dozen Continuous Acupuncture Education (CAE) centres were also cleared during this period.   In his multiple prayers to the high court, Dr. Sawant has sought quashing Dr. Beramji’s appointment as MCA Administrator and setting aside all policy decisions taken during his tenure in that capacity in the last three years.   The petition also urged the court to direct the state government to conduct elections to elect and reconstitute a new five-member MCA within two months.   Pending this, the plea seeks an order restraining the Administrator from continuing in office or interfering in the functioning of the MCA or the CAEs in the interest of free and fair elections or the cause of Acupuncture.   Sources within the MCA have described the situation as “deeply concerning,” alleging that individuals of international standing, such as Dr. Lohiya - who has treated prominent personalities like Sachin Tendulkar, the late Manoj Kumar, state and central ministers and other public figures - are being unfairly hounded.   The petition has called for a comprehensive review of all decisions taken during the Administrator’s tenure, a financial audit of the MCA’s financial affairs, and an independent probe by the Medical Education & Drugs Department (MEDD) into the approvals granted to the institutions in recent years.   Despite repeated attempts by  ‘ The Perfect Voice’ , top MCA officials like the Administrator or the Registrar Narayan Nawale, were not available for their comments.

Violence Against Healthcare Professionals: Deepening Crisis

Updated: Oct 21, 2024

In addition to deploying armed teams with communication tools and installing cameras, we implemented further measures to address violence in the healthcare sector.


Telemedicine for Prison

Medical professionals and health workers in public hospitals and medical colleges remain under threat from dangerous prisoners who threaten the medicos to permit their long stay in hospitals. Instances of verbal abuse and even stabbings have occurred. To counter this while an advisor in medical education (2016–17), I implemented video links for prisons to connect with district courts and provide telemedicine services. This initiative, which ran from 2017 to 2020, allowed prison doctors to communicate prisoner grievances to specialists for counselling without incurring extra costs.


Digital Post-Mortems

To address demands from relatives to avoid post-mortems, digital or virtual post-mortems—like those used by AIIMS, New Delhi—can provide accurate findings and prevent fraud complaints.


Private hospitals

In private hospitals, relatives of deceased patients may pressure healthcare workers with threats or demands, sometimes involving local politicians. This has led some doctors to seek weapon licenses for protection.

Addressing violence requires more than legal measures or armed protection. It involves regular training for all staff, improved infrastructure, and strict security measures, including access control and CCTV. Limiting visitors, documenting incidents, and reporting to law enforcement are also crucial. Testimonies can be given via video conferencing to ease court-related burdens.

Dr. Sancheti, a prominent Pune orthopaedist, attributes violence against healthcare workers to mistrust between patients and doctors. He has avoided violence by thoroughly explaining procedures to patients and their families. Dr. Sanjay Gupte emphasises that recovery should be a collaborative effort between patient and doctor. Dr. Shrikant Kelkar has pioneered training modules for health workers, implementing them across various hospitals. Psychiatrist Dr. Mohan Agashe adds that lack of understanding fuels legal issues and stresses that healthcare workers need intelligence and empathy.

The US Department of Labor’s Organizational Safety and Healthcare Facilities’ Roadmap provides guidelines for preventing violence in healthcare, available online. These guidelines cover management commitment, employee participation, worksite analysis, hazard identification, prevention and control, safety and health training, record keeping and program evaluation. The Indian Medical Association (IMA) should implement standard operating procedures (SOPs) for public and private healthcare facilities and conduct semiannual reviews and rehearsals to address issues and implement international best practices.

Currently, the IMA recommends forming crisis management committees at the taluka or district level, including doctors, social workers, legal professionals, politicians, and press reporters. These committees would work with police to ensure thorough investigations and prevent premature prosecution of healthcare workers. They would also advise press reporters against sensationalising such incidents.

The Supreme Court’s “Martin D’Souza vs. Mohammed Isfaq” ruling warns police against harassing doctors unless Jacob Mathew’s case parameters are met. The Ministry of Transport has mandated that health workers prioritise treating Good Samaritans who report injuries, and police must not suspect informants but prioritise saving lives.

Strict adherence to these directives and guidelines by all concerned, as well as introspection by healthcare workers and improvement of their practices and monitoring of these periodically alone, can create a visible impact against such violence.

To address violence, the Core India Institute of Legal Medicine (CIILM) in Maharashtra, with retired police officers, has formed quick response teams. These teams, skilled in crowd control and mob psychology, train healthcare workers and defuse critical situations. Private hospitals should participate to ensure safety and peace of mind.

In conclusion, enacting laws alone won’t eliminate violence. Healthcare institutes must involve all stakeholders, be prepared for emergencies, establish clear policies and standard operation procedures (SOPs), and coordinate with law enforcement regularly.

(The writer is a former DGP, Maharashtra. Views personal)

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