Dinesh Kamath's Editorial 'Hospital staff needs protection' that was published in Newsband

Hospital staff needs protection

The government is concerned over rising violence against doctors. A study by the Indian Medical Association (IMA) suggests more than 75% doctors in the country have experienced some form of violence while on duty.

Attacks on doctors, nurses, and hospital staff in India are not new. There is urgent need of provision of security to the doctors, nurses and staff in public hospitals who face physical and verbal violence in the workplace.

What provokes the relatives of the patients to attack the hospital workers? Delays in attending to patients, seeking hefty advance payments, withholding a deceased’s body until settlement of bills and unethical practices are among the reasons that provoke relatives to attack doctors. Another reason is the lack of trust in the medical profession among some patients. While the doctors on duty need to inculcate soft skills that will help them emphathise with the patient and their families, adequate security should be provided to the doctors too.

Make assaults on doctors a non-bailable offence since every hospital is a war zone and doctors, nurses, paramedical staff need protection. In the hospitals you are bound to find tempers, passions, concerns and pressure and doctors having to deal with life and death situations.

Public hospitals have a massive workload and constant shortage of staff. Most doctors, especially resident doctors, routinely put in 24 hours or more without sleep and handle all sorts of emergencies. When you work under such stressful conditions, there are bound to be complications or mistakes. This is what patients and relatives perceive as negligence.

Other factors associated with violence include long wait times, psychiatric patients, patients who have a history of violence, and patients under the influence of drugs or alcohol.

Since 2007, 18 Indian states have passed laws protecting doctors and healthcare workers from attacks; but enforcement is not quite up to scratch. There has to be a legal support system to bring those who commit such crimes to book. It is a crime to assault a cop and a public servant and it must be a crime to assault a nurse or a doctor as well. Make assaults on healthcare workers a non-bailable offence. Save India’s doctors and the patients who genuinely need them.