In Maharashtra, attacking any doctors or medicare service personnels, including all medical and paramedical staffs of all hospitals, will now be considered as a non-bailable offence resulting imprisonment for three years and a fine of Rs. 50,000.

The new rule came into existence after the Maharashtra Medicare Service Persons and Medicare Service Institution (Prevention of Violence and Damage or Loss to Property) Act, 2010 was passed by the Maharashtra assembly on Friday. This will take care of doctors from any kind of violence from the patient or his family members.

The bill listed by Minister of State for Law and Justice Bhaskar Jadhav stated that any law breaker, who commits or attempts to commit or encourages any act of violence, would fall under the purview of this act. Jadhav further added that there was a need to check such incidents and the government took this decision in observance of increased attacks on doctors by patients and their relatives.

Under another provision of this act, in occurrence of any such episode with damage to any property, the offender would be liable to pay compensation of double the amount of damages or losses caused to the property or any other amount as decided by the court.

Further to add to the above act, there is another provision, which will consider victim's grievances about medical negligence or mismanagement. Under this provision the victims will be given proper advice to find out a suitable remedy through proper channels.