1. AHPI-TN petition: Apex court issues notice to the Union Govt

Violence against doctors is unacceptable and needs to be condemned. Small and medium private healthcare establishments form the majority of the health sector. They are, however, isolated and vulnerable to violence. The medical fraternity has become demoralized by the increasing number of attacks on the doctors. This becomes one of the reasons why doctors avoid serving in rural areas. The prevention of violence against Medical Professional and institutions acts, which have been notified in 19 states in the past ten years have failed to address the issue.

2. Open more private hospitals in next five years, make healthcare a fundamental right: Panel

A high-level panel on reforms in the health sector has come up with radical suggestions like shifting healthcare from the state list to the concurrent list in the Constitution, opening over 3,000-5,000 small private hospitals in the next five years, and declaring the Right to Health as a fundamental right on the 75th Independence day next year. The Committee recommended that the number of MBBS and PG seats in the country be made equal by 2025. The panel also suggested hiking allocation for healthcare to 2.5% of the GDP, adding both Central and state governments should be nudged to increase spending on the sector. States should earmark at least 2% of their health budget for health research activities, the panel said in its 120-page report. It also recommended that in the next five years, 3,000-5,000 hospitals of 200 beds each may be created with private sector participation. Many of the recommendations, however, evoked sharp reactions from public health experts. “A Committee comprising two members who represent corporate hospitals is sure to suggest more privatisation. It’s clearly a matter of conflict of interest,” said public health researcher Sunil Nandraj who has been an advisor to the Union health ministry in the past.

3. AHPI TN Chapter Condemns renewed violence against doctors

Dr. S Gurushankar, President of Tamil Nadu Chapter of the Association of Healthcare Providers of India (AHPI), has condemned renewed violence against doctors across the country, in light of the assault on a gynecologist by a patient’s relatives at a Kolkata hospital last week. The Association called such violence as unacceptable and highlighted the need for stringent laws to punish the perpetrators. It also said that if doctors continue to be assaulted at work, taking healthcare to every part of the country will not be possible and the entire health infrastructure may be at risk of failure.