IMPHAL, July 8: Even as the ruling government put up a total of six bills for getting passed unanimously during the ongoing 11th Session of the 10th Manipur Legislative Assembly today, one of the bills could not be passed after opposition MLA Dr I Ibohalbi Singh strongly objected to it.
Following the objection to the bill by the opposition MLA, the bill was put under a Select Committee of the House to look into it.
The bill `Manipur Medicare Service Personnel and Medicare Service Institutions (Prevention of Violence and Damage to Property) Bill, 2015 was moved by Health & Family Welfare Minister Phungzathang Tonsing during the evening session.
Minister Phungzathang while moving the bill stated that there have been instances where patient parties assaulted doctors, nurse and paramedical staff and damaged properties of hospitals in the state.
As such, there is a need to put the `Manipur Medicare Service Personnel and Medicare Service Institutions (Prevention of Violence and Damage to Property) Bill, 2015 in effect to thwart such incidents in future, he observed, appealing the House Members to go ahead with the bill.
While discussing the bill, opposition MLA Dr I Ibohalbi Singh pointed out that the bill tends to favour only Medicare centre and its personnel not including necessary measures to be taken up in treatment of patients and penalty to be given to those who neglected proper treatment of patients.
Therefore, the bill should be put under a Select Committee of the House to resurrect it, he said.
Taking part in discussing the bill, MLA Y Irabot Singh from the side the ruling government categorically stated that under the bill, penalty for offence in Medicare centre is three years imprisonment but according to Indian Penal Code, the imprisonment is six years.
Therefore, the bill seems to be contradictory, he said.
While supporting the bill, ruling MLA Dr Ng Bijoy Singh observed that there is a protocol for `Medical Audit`™ under which negligence of hospital, lack of knowledge on part of doctor/nurse and shortage of equipment in hospitals are identified.
Stating that RIMS and JNIMS seem to be covered under the bill by mentioning the phrase `Medicare centre`™, he contended that there are flaws on the first, second and third page of the bill.
Joining in the discussion, MLA L Ibomcha said that personnel of Medicare centre should not be covered under the bill given that there is provision under Indian Penal Code for them.
Though there was mixed reactions on the credentials of the bill, he urged the House Members to pass the bill.
As the bill failed to pass after MLA Dr I Ibohalbi objected to it, Chief Minister O Ibobi Singh formed a Select Committee of the House with Health & Family Welfare Minister Phungzathang Tonsing as its Chairman; Dr Chaltolien Amo; Dr Ng Bijoy Singh; Dr I Ibohalbi Singh and L Ibomcha Singh as the Members.
Read more / Original news source: http://kanglaonline.com/2015/07/manipur-medicare-service-personnel-and-medicare-service-bill-not-passed/