Doctors under greater protection? Local government calls for a change in the law

In view of increasing cases of aggression against medical personnel, the Presidium of the Supreme Medical Council has appealed to the Minister of Health to urgently amend Article 44 of the Law on the Profession of Physician and Dentist. Currently, according to the regulations, doctors are covered by the protection due to a public official only in strictly defined cases - including when they practice their profession in an entity with a contract with the National Health Fund.

In the opinion of the Medical Council, such a regulation is insufficient and leads to an unfair differentiation of legal protection depending on the form of a doctor's employment. As stressed in the position paper, any situation in which a doctor is attacked in the course of his professional duties - regardless of whether he works in the public or private system - should be subject to equal legal protection.

"The work of every doctor is of great social importance. It should not matter whether it is publicly or privately funded. Every doctor should have security and legal protection on an equal basis." - The Presidium of the NRL points out.

The medical association is calling for an amendment to Article 44 of the Law on the Profession of Physician and Dentist and giving it new wording. According to the proposal:

"A doctor who:
performs activities within the framework of emergency services or, in the case referred to in Article 30,
performs his profession in an entity performing medical activity, in connection with the provision of health services in this entity
- is entitled to the legal protection due to a public servant."

The Presidium of the NRL stresses that such a solution corresponds to the current challenges of the health care system and the real threats that doctors face in their daily work. Therefore, it appeals to the Minister of Health to quickly begin legislative work in this regard.

Source: NIL