Palakkad: In response to the increasing number of attacks on doctors, the Indian Medical Association (IMA) Palakkad branch has launched a scheme to provide pepper sprays for self-defence.

IMA officials clarified that the initiative is intended solely to ensure personal safety during emergency situations involving threats of assault. The association also said the move aims to highlight the need for institutional mechanisms to protect healthcare workers.

Pepper spray bottles will be available to all IMA Palakkad members at the branch office by the end of next week. Members will also be educated on the appropriate situations for using them, according to a circular issued by President Dr. R. Satyajith and Secretary Dr. Akshay Jayaprakash.

The move comes after an incident at the Government Taluk Hospital in Thamarassery, Kozhikode, where a man attacked a doctor following the death of his nine-year-old daughter.