LAHORE: In view of violence against medical staf f at public hospitals across the province, the Specialised Healthcare and Medical Education Department (SHC&ME) has drafted a bill to preventsuchinstancesinfuture.

The Punjab Healthcare Provider and Healthcare Service Institutions (Prevention of Violence and Damage or Loss toProperty) Act, 2016, would come into force after approval by the Punjab Assembly, an of ficial privy to the information told Dawn.

He said the law would make attack a non-bailable offence with imprisonment up to three years and fine up to Rs500,000.

Also, the offender will have to pay the amount of damage or loss caused to property as compensation.

The draft was prepared particularly on the demand of the Young Doctors Association, Punjab, when it took up the issue with the health authorities in some recent meetings, the of ficial said.

However, he said, the point of view or grievances of other partyincluding patients and their relatives were ignored by the health authorities while finalising the draft.

The YDA was of the view that attacks on medical staff by angry relatives of patients increased during the last some months.

The mob, besides relatives of the patient, include members of political outfits or communal groups.

The official said the law would protect registered doctors and nurses, medical and nursing students, and paramedics.According to the proposed law, if the relatives of patient damage hospital property, they would liable to pay double the cost of the property.However, the patients can lodge complaints against `negligent` doctors through Punjab Healthcare Commission, he added.

Quoting some reservations of the YDA representatives presented to the health department, the official said violence against doctors varied from threats to physical assault and on some occasions from expletives to gun attack.

He said most incidents of violence had taken place during peak hours.

According to the YDA, the official said, doctors especially female medics and other hospital employees were working under mental stress due to repeated attacks on them.