Compulsory treatment

The provision to complete medico-legal formalities before a hospital can provide treatment has cost hundreds of lives in the country. To make this process less dangerous, the Sindh Assembly has introduced the Sindh Injured Persons’ Compulsory Medical Treatment Bill, also known as the Amal Umar Bill. The bill mandates the provision of emergency medical aid and treatment to any injured person, regardless of the circumstances under which they are brought to the hospital. Denial of treatment will be a criminal offence, punishable by up to three years in jail. While the Sindh government passed a similar bill three years ago, it was not implemented; which is why it required the passing of stronger legislation.The bill is a progressive piece of legislation that mandates both public and private hospitals to treat injury victims, even if they are unable to afford the treatment. This cost would then be borne by the government. All hospitals will be required to maintain at least two fully equipped ambulances on site while police and law enforcement officials will not be allowed to interrogate injured persons while they are receiving compulsory medical treatment. However, Amal’s family has raised a number of concerns, including the definition of notified hospitals, creation of ambulance service protocols, and a clause that allows hospitals to determine whether they could treat a certain case or not. The Amal Umar case has also revealed other issues, such as the low number of ambulances in Karachi – one-third of what the city needs. It has been reported that the Sindh government is working to rectify the situation, a step that will be most appreciated.There is a need for a holistic approach to be taken to prevent any more tragedies such as what happened to Amal and her family. The bill is an essential initiative that should also be emulated by other provinces. The task of hospitals is to save lives, not assist policing. This intermeshing of roles is a practice that has cost may injured persons their quality of life and sometimes their life itself. The most important task will be for the Sindh government to ensure implementation. Let there be hope that other provinces too follow suit to prevent such tragedies in the future.

from The News International - Editorial http://bit.ly/2t0Oyce