The Ohio Senate passed a bill that would give limited civil immunity to doctors who provide emergency care during natural disasters.
The law is limited in that it doesn’t apply to wrongful death claims. The proposal also doesn’t apply to instances in which it’s demonstrated that physicians or other providers have shown “reckless disregard” for a patient’s health.
The bill gives legal immunity from damage claims to a wide variety of health providers, including physicians, physician assistants, dentists, optometrists and a number of types of nurses.
The bill passed by a 22-10 vote. It next moves to the House of Representatives for consideration.
The Ohio State Medical Association, a trade group representing the state’s doctors, “strongly supports” the legislation, spokesman Jason Koma said.
“Our state lacks the necessary statutory protections to account for the challenging practice settings and situations physicians are faced with when providing emergency care during natural disaster situations like a ‘Hurricane Katrina,'” Koma said.
