Annoyed by the frequent altercations of doctors with the attendants of the patients at different nursing homes in the city, the Indore chapter of the Indian Medical Association (IMA) has launched a wide campaign to safeguard the interests of the medical staff.

The campaign was sparked off by a recent incident at Arpan Nursing Home where the relatives of the deceased manhandled the attending doctors and ransacked the nursing home. The IMA functionaries submitted a memorandum to B B S Thakur, the Superintendent of Police, and demanded police protection for the medical staff working at the different nursing homes.

According to IMA City President Dr Rajendra Choubey and Secretary Dr Ulhaas Mahajan, such incidents are intolerable. "The doctors behave in a dignified manner with people around them. This should not be taken as their weakness,'' they said adding that if no steps are taken by the administration immediately, the IMA would be forced to start a movement.

In most cases where such altercations take place, the doctors concerned keep mum because of the sentiments of the relatives of the patients. The loss of a near one can certainly trigger off violent reactions sometimes. But, this has become a continuous feature and the medical staff feels helpless. Even after making all out efforts to save lives, they don't expect this treatment from the public, said the IMA functionaries.
The IMA has also approached the Indore Core Group of the Madhya Pradesh Human Rights Commission with their requests. The culprits should be punished so that this sets an example for other that violence would not be tolerated, they added.