Panaji: The Goa Legislative Assembly on Tuesday passed a bill seeking to amend the state’s law aimed at preventing violence against medicare service personnel and damage to healthcare institutions by replacing the word “convicted” with “accused” in a key provision.
The Goa Medicare Service Personnel and Medicare Service Institutions (Prevention of Violence and Damage or Loss to Property) (Amendment) Bill, 2026, seeks to amend Section 6(3) of the 2013 Act.
The amendment replaces the provision that currently refers to a person “convicted” under the Act with “accused”, allowing the relevant legal process to be initiated against an accused person rather than waiting for conviction by a court.
According to the Statement of Objects and Reasons, the change is aimed at correcting an “apparent error” in the existing law, where the word “convicted” was inadvertently used in place of “accused” during drafting of the 2013 Act.
The government said the use of “convicted” created a legal inconsistency since a person can be termed convicted only after a court establishes guilt through due process. The term “accused” is considered appropriate for proceedings involving a person alleged to have committed an offence before conviction.
The amendment is intended to ensure legal clarity, accuracy and proper implementation of the legislation protecting medicare personnel and institutions, the government said.
The bill was introduced by Health Minister Vishwajit Rane and carries no financial implications for the state government.
The amended law will come into force immediately upon commencement.
