INDIA
The ICRC has asked the Indian Red Cross Society (IRCS) to get the protected logo removed from “unauthorized” places in India within two years.
CHENNAI: When one sees a Red Cross doctors, hospitals, ambulances and pharmacies spring to the mind. But left to the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), it may not be so for long, at least in India.
The ICRC has for long been trying to stop medical establishments and practitioners from “misusing” its registered ‘Red Cross’ emblem, which is protected under the Geneva Convention of 1949 to which India is a signatory.
The ICRC has asked the Indian Red Cross Society (IRCS) to get the protected logo removed from “unauthorized” places in India within two years. “The ICRC has been fighting the misuse of the logo in many countries. Some of the developed countries (like the US and the UK) have fallen in line, while the misuse is still rampant in India. We have been unofficially given a deadline of two years,” an IRCS official told DNA.
While almost all the state branches of IRCS have given complaints to the medical bodies and the state governments, the Kerala branch of the Youth Red Cross on April 14 served a 90-day notice on the state government.
“We need to protect the exclusivity of the 'Red Cross' which is vital for reaching medical aid in war zones,” says IRCS secretary general S P Agarwal. But what doctors and hospitals use if the Red Cross is withdrawn?
“There are already internationally recognised substitutes. For doctors there is a staff with two wings and two snakes entwined. For ambulances there is a staff with one snake against blue background. For hospitals there is 'H' in white against blue background and for pharmacists there is the green cross,” says Agarwal.
Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu have initiated the process of emblem replacement. The appointment of two dissemination officers in Mumbai in the last three years is seen as the ICRC’s renewed efforts at emblem protection in Maharashtra. “We are distributing stickers of approved logos to hospitals, doctors and pharmacists. We are in touch with local cable operators to spread the message. Pharmacists are slowly adopting the 'Green Cross' logo,” says K Krishnadas, Secretary IRCS Maharashtra.
The Indian Medical Association (IMA), the representative body of doctors in India, is not resisting the change. “When the Red Cross insists, we have to obey,” says IMA secretary general SN Misra. While corporate hospitals already have their own emblems, doctors feel popularising the alternative emblem would be a task.
“Our hospital does not use the ‘Red Cross’emblem, but for the medical profession in general, it will take some time to popularise the alternative logo,” says PVA Mohandas, Director, MIOT Hospital, Chennai.
IMA Tamil Nadu president Dr Zameer Pasha plans to take the alternative emblem to the villages as part of the Union government's rural health programme Aao Gaon Chalein (Let's go the villages). His Maharashtra counterpart Dr Ashok Adhao adds: “We will make all our 20,000 members adhere to the norms in one year and reach out to the other two-thirds of doctors who are not IMA members later. We will also encourage ambulances to switch over to the allotted emblem.”
“An Indian law in 1960 made the use of 'Red Cross' by others a punishable offence, but it failed to define the procedure of filing a complaint against the violation,” says Dr NG Narayana, Secretary, IRCS Karnataka. The IRCS is pushing for a clearer law with stringent punishment. According to the 1940 Geneva Convention, besides IRCS, only the Indian Armed Medical Force is entitled to use the emblem.
With inputs from Don Sebastian in Thiruvananthapuram and Bhargavi Kerur in Bangalore
Mukesh Ambani's SUPERHIT plan for Jio users, offers unlimited 5G access for 1 year for just Rs...
IND vs AUS 1st Test: KL Rahul's dismissal sparks DRS controversy in Perth Test
Dense fog, heavy rain predicted in these states till November 25; check here
Oreshnik Hypersonic Missile: Which nations are within its range?
Bihar teacher, principal reach school in drunken state; know what happened next
'I have faced a lot of...': Arjun Kapoor REVEALS his biggest fear amid break up with Malaika Arora
How millions of Indians may get affected due to US indictment of Gautam Adani in bribery case
Amid divorce rumours with Aishwarya Rai, Abhishek Bachchan says 'missing someone is okay but...'
After Bibles, watches and sneakers, Donald Trump is now selling autographed guitars, price is...
Delhi pollution: Air quality improves to ‘very poor’ category, AQI at...
Vladimir Putin's BIG threat, warns he could strike UK with new ballistic missile if...
Shillong Teer Results TODAY November 22, 2024 Live Updates: Check winning numbers here
Somebody misbehaved with Alia Bhatt on Highway sets then Imtiaz Ali had to...
Zomato CEO Deepinder Goyal reveals twist behind Rs 200000 job fee, closes application window
Days after Ratan Tata's demise, Tata Group's Rs 131000 crore company inks pact with ADB for...
WATCH: Woman makes Biryani with Parle-G biscuits, viral video fumes internet
Only train in India in which passengers can travel for FREE; check route, timings and more
'Justice for biryani': Parle-G biryani takes internet by storm, video goes viral
DNA TV Show: Why Gautam Adani charged with bribery and fraud in US
IND vs AUS: Records Virat Kohli can break during Border-Gavaskar Trophy
Diljit Dosanjh fans get angry over Ananya Panday's birthday post for her grandmother, here's why
Reddit suffers outage with ‘upstream connect error’ message, says 'currently investigating...'
Border-Gavaskar Trophy: How has Jasprit Bumrah fared in Tests in Australia?
Delhi records coldest night of the season, temp drops to...
Crossing the Line: Ukraine's Use of Storm Shadow Missiles and the Escalation of Conflict
When Malaika Arora talked about the controversial ‘instant pleasure’ ad, it was for…
This is the world’s most expensive shopping street, not Fifth Avenue, New Bond Street, it is...
Big setback for Gautam Adani, Kenya cancels Rs 6216 crore deal with Adani Group due to...
Viral video: Man’s jugaad to stay warm in winter will leave you SHOCKED, watch here
Hinduja Group firm gets key approval for acquisition of Anil Ambani's debt-ridden Reliance Capital
Viral video: Middle-Class man lives dream of having tea at Taj Hotel, netizens applauds
Shloka Mehta looks stunning in white floral kurta as she clicked with Akash Ambani, it costs Rs....
Who is Sagar Adani, Gautam Adani's nephew, accused of bribery, fraud charges in US?
PayPal down: Several users face issue while logging into accounts, say 'no one could...'
IND vs AUS: Jasprit Bumrah, Pat Cummins eye historic captaincy milestone in Perth Test
BGT 2024, Ind vs Aus: Can Shubhman Gill be the new Cheteshwar Pujara? Is he really ready?
The Ultimate Guide to Luxury Gifting: Discover Heirloom Pashmina by Pashmina.com
Effortless Relocations: The Perks Of Professional Removalists In Melbourne
Watch: Pakistan fan with 'Imran Khan' poster asked to leave Hobart stadium in Australia
International Criminal Court issues arrest warrant against Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu for...
What is demisexuality? Everything you need to know about this lesser-known sexual orientation
WATCH: World’s shortest woman meets world’s tallest woman, video goes viral
IND vs AUS 1st Test: Predicted playing XIs, Perth weather forecast and pitch report
IND vs AUS: When will Rohit Sharma join India squad? Check latest update
'Scam 2024': Diljit Dosanjh lookalike pranks people on Pune streets, video goes viral
Delhi Air Pollution: Centre announces staggered work timings for govt employees; check details
Mukesh Ambani's Reliance Jio loses nearly 80 lakh subscribers in just 30 days, BSNL adds...
IND vs AUS, 1st Test Dream11 prediction: Fantasy cricket tips for India vs Australia match
This country has most expensive passport in world, not US, UK, UAE, it costs Rs...
Amitabh Bachchan opens up on Aishwarya Rai-Abhishek Bachchan divorce rumours
Amid rising air pollution, Delhi-NCR's crematorium records cleanest air; check AQI here
Revolutionising Medical Imaging: Venudhar Rao Hajari’s impact on healthcare technology
Abhishek Gupta and Onevision Media: Scaling brands on social media
Video shows Korean girl eating jalebi for first time, her reaction to Indian sweet goes viral
Cristiano Ronaldo confirms THIS YouTube star as his next guest, says, 'Will break Internet'
Delhi Assembly Elections: AAP releases first list of 11 candidates for 2025 polls
Adani Group's FIRST REACTION after US indicts Gautam Adani in alleged bribery case
Instagram introduces new feature, know how to reset app's algorithm, change your feed