From correspondents in Madhya Pradesh, India, 08:01 PM IST

The Madhya Pradesh government Tuesday passed the Doctor's Protection Bill that aims at providing security to doctors and other medical personnel who have increasingly come under attack from patients' relatives.

The bill - named Madhya Pradesh Chikitsak Tatha Chikitsa Seva Se Sambadh Vyaktiyon Ki Suraksha Vidheyak, 2008 - makes any act of violence or threat to medical personnel a cognizable and non-bailable offence.

The law provides protection to doctors, nurses, paramedical staff, ward boys, attendants, clerks and other staff working in hospitals and diagnostic centres besides medical, nursing and paramedical students.

It envisages punishment of up to three months imprisonment or fine of Rs.10,000 or both to those found guilty. It covers hospitals and dispensaries run by the government - both state and central - public sector undertakings and also private hospitals and diagnostic centres.

Doctors in the state often come under attack when they are unable to save a patient's life, officials said.

The bill was passed without any debate as most of the opposition members were around the speaker's podium, demanding Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan's resignation and a judicial enquiry into the communal riots in Indore over the Amarnath land row that killed seven people.

(Staff Writer, © IANS)