A bill which would see life-endangering medical negligence punished with four to six years of prison will be discussed in the first commission of Colombia’s Senate on Tuesday.
The initiative, put forward by Liberal party Senator Guillermo Santos Marin and Senator Juan Mario Laserna of the Conservative party will look to apply penal sanctions to health professionals who fail to fully complete their obligation to preserve the lives of their patients.
The idea behind the four to six year prison term is to ensure that any guilty party not be spared prison time according to the gravity of the crime.
Lawmakers will also discuss a clause that would extend a convicted medical professional’s prison sentence by up to one quarter of the original sentence if the patient dies as a result of the care received.
“The facts that are happening every day contrast completely with the supposed work of doctors and healthcare workers who are overlooking or permitting negligence in this sector and as a consequence we are seeing the deaths of Colombians,” declared Guillermo Santos.
Sources
‘Paseo de la muerte’ sería castigado hasta con 6 años de cárcel (El Espectador)
PROYECTO DE LEY 50 DE 2012 SENADO. (Impresnta.gov)
