Violence Against Doctors: How Can We Prevent Future Attacks in India?

Highlights:

• Dr. Balaji Jaganathan was stabbed by a patient's son in Chennai, causing widespread outrage
• The attack comes amid an ongoing trial in Kolkata for the murder of a doctor
• There is a renewed push for a national law to protect medical professionals from violence

The recent Chennai doctor attack calls for national law to protect healthcare workers again. On Wednesday, an oncologist at the Kalaignar Centenary Super Speciality Hospital on Guindy in Chennai was attacked seven times by a patient's son due to his mother's treatment. The principled doctors at the facility have boycotted work condemning the violence. This is what has occurred and why a demand for protective legislation is the need of the hour (1^✔).

Why This Attack Angered People

A top oncologist, Dr Balaji Jaganathan, who is also an associate professor was attacked by them in the worst manner by stabbing. He is in stable condition at the moment. As per the reports, Vignesh had gone into the OP Room with the help of a staff saying he needed to talk to the doctor regarding the treatments of his mother, and then attacked him. There has been a lot of violence in the hospital, and after a fight, members of the hospital staff and security managed to disable him, and he was arrested.

‘Did You Know?
Violence against healthcare workers has been on the rise, with doctors and nurses facing increasing threats to their safety. #medindia #healthcarelaw’

Dr. Balaji, who had recently undergone pacemaker implantation, was critically injured involving serious surgical damage. He's currently in the hospital awaiting further tests while the doctors are slowly hopeful of his discharge soon.

Renewed Call for Legal Protections

This incident comes close on the heels of the trial proceeding in the RG Kar hospital case in Kolkata in which a postgraduate doctor was killed. Together these incidents have reinforced the long-standing demand for legislation protecting medical personnel.

Although the Centre came up with a protective law in 2019, it was never passed by the houses because of opposing intentions of federal structures, where the states have made their own laws. This is however refuted by the Indian Medical Association and several healthcare advocates stating that laws already in existence do not suffice.

Ways to Strengthen Healthcare Safety

The central government can help to protect healthcare workers from violence by adopting a central law with severe sanctions for such actions against medical staff so that there will be equal protection of healthcare workers across the states. In such areas appropriate security measures including round-the-clock surveillance, restricted entry points, and well-trained security personnel are compulsory.

Public health promotion interventions can enhance doctor-patient relationships based on understanding, and potential conflict between them. Besides, mediation centers are to place in the hospitals to solve the complaints, and health care safety committees for continuous safety investigation. Open communication amongst health care staff with patients or other caretakers can also improve confidence and build a safer environment.

The media must also be quite sensitive in reporting about the doctors and health-care facilities, and avoid demonizing them without proper evidence to prevent shedding a negative light on this noble profession. The public has to be told that hospitals are sacred places of healing and jeopardizing the safety of doctors can in turn affect the recovery process of patients.

This way the governments can build a more trusted working environment for medical representatives and assurance of offering the best quality treatment for patients.

Protecting those who heal is not just a responsibility, but a commitment to a healthier, safer society.

Reference:

1. Making the Surgeons Safe in India - (https:pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5858219/)

Source: Medindia

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