The Indian Medical Association (IMA) has written a letter to Home Minister Amit Shah urging him to bring a comprehensive, uniform and effective law against healthcare violence, reports India Today.

In the letter addressed to the home ministry, the IMA said, "India needs a comprehensive, uniform and effective law against the healthcare violence. We request you to kindly approve an effective and strong act against healthcare violence. The real size of the problem is largely unknown and recent information shows that the current knowledge is only the tip of the iceberg."

"The incidences of healthcare violence have increased over the years and have become widespread and the dreaded entity poses to be a threat to the medical practice," the IMA stated.

Notably, the letter comes after a doctor at a Covid care centre (CCC) in Assam was brutally attacked by a mob on Tuesday (1 June) after a Covid-19 positive patient died during treatment. The assault, recorded presumably on a mobile phone, triggered a sharp protest from doctors and others.

Taking note of the incident, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma had called it a "barbaric attack" and said that his administration will not tolerate attacks on Covid frontline workers. He also ordered police to take action against the culprits.

After Sarma's intervention, as many as 24 culprits involved in the attack have been arrested.

"While the entire medical fraternity stands with you and is working tirelessly during the pandemic, it is also facing a serious threat from healthcare violence. There are many incidences of healthcare violence taking place across the country," the IMA added.