The Himachal Pradesh government on Thursday introduced an amendment bill in the assembly to ensure safety of doctors on duty in government hospitals and dispensaries by making the offence of assault non-bailable.

Health Minister Kaul Singh introduced the bill to amend section four of the Himachal Pradesh Medicare Service Persons and Medicare Service Institutions (Prevention of Violence and Damage to Property) Act of 2009. He said the Himachal Pradesh Medical Officers Association demanded that the offence under the act should be cognizable and non-bailable.

In view of the increased incidences of violence against medical officers on duty, it has been decided to make the offence cognizable and non-bailable, punishable with imprisonment up to three years, he said. The bill is likely to be listed for debate and passing in the assembly on March 31.

In January, patient care in over 700 government hospitals and dispensaries in the state was hit as more than 3,000 doctors went on strike for a day over their demands, including safety of doctors and pay parity.

However, emergency services worked in the state's major hospitals. The doctors association had claimed that a doctor after facing humiliation from politically connected people in a hospital in Una suffered a heart attack.