Ahmedabad: Addressing Violence Against Medical Professionals

The violence against medical professionals on the field has grown so drastically that doctors are coming together to figure out how to tackle this growing evil. In a recent discussion organized by the Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad’s (IIM-A) Centre for Management of Health Services (CMHS) on various domains of 'Violence Against Doctors', the experts were seen discussing the topic in detail.

According to the analysis provided by the participating members in the discussion, doctors, whether in Government service or practicing privately, face violence at some point or another.

Jayesh Lele, the national secretary of the Indian Medical Association’s (IMA), informed that around 55 to 60 percent of resident doctors at government hospitals face violence compared to the 30 to 40 percent of private doctors facing violence.

Read Also: Prevention of Violence against Doctors Bill Tabled in Parliament

The panel, while discussing the cause of the issue, identified 'Communication Gap' between doctors and patients as one of the major reasons for the growing incidence of violence against doctors.

Discussing other reasons regarding the issue, Dr. Bharat Gadhvi, regional director, HCG Hospitals Gujarat, commented on the recent order issued on doctor-patient relationships. He told DNA, “There are a couple of reasons for the increase in such incidents that include the recent order declaring doctor-patient relation as that of a consumer-service provider. Another reason is the lack of clarity related to post-mortem. There is no availability of pathological post-mortem. Communication and counseling are also key.”

The experts present in the discussion put forward their points for the solution to this epidemic matter.

Manoj Sashidhar, Inspector General of Police, Panchmahal range, Godhra, informed the Indian Express, “We can find ways to reduce doctors facing violence only when we have diagnosed the issue. For instance, in a hospital, which spots are the most susceptible to violence against doctors — trauma centers or operation theatres. Only when we have diagnosed this will we be able to design hospitals in a way that reduces friction between doctors and patients.”

As a token of recommendation to MCI, advocate Harsh Rawal told DNA, “Like we have moot-court events where law students have to face the entire judicial set-up and argue to understand the real situation in courts, even MCI should make demonstrations of aggressive incidents a part of the medical syllabus.”