A Tough Pill to Swallow

The government implemented many knee-jerk reactions to improve security at hospitals. For example, an emergency ordinance was passed for frontline COVID workers, which made violence against health-care workers a non-bailable offence and punishable with up to 7 years of imprisonment. Although a laudable show of force, these policies are unable to address the root cause: these acts of violence are committed by frustrated family members, who vent out their anger on whoever is available. Crunched medical resources, insufficient doctor to patient ratios, and communication gaps are real culprits.

In addition, the dismal complaint redressal system in India accentuates these root issues. The majority of public and private hospitals in India don’t follow a consistent procedure for dealing with violence. WHO regulations also require healthcare facilities to maintain appropriate data about cases of violence against health workers; this should be followed by Indian healthcare facilities, but currently is not. Another possible reason for such ugly behavior is the lack of trust in the Indian judicial system, which deters relatives from lodging official complaints and instead prompts them to take out their emotions on doctors — who are in arms reach.

Mere laws may deter some people from acting out, but true eradication of this ugly trend would require fundamental reforms of the complaint redressal system, in addition to strengthening healthcare infrastructure. The National Medical Council, government, and the Police force need to develop a holistic strategy to prevent this menace. Increasing the number of residency positions within Emergency medicine, incorporating frequent “Effective communication” workshops, and implementing de-escalation strategies are the need of the hour.

A safe working environment is a basic necessity for any employee, let alone doctors and other healthcare workers, who are heroes without capes during these times.