Save the Saviors
Image for representation purpose only | Image Source: Indian express
Written by Neha Roy, India
National Doctors’ Day, India
July 1st happens to be the birth and death anniversary of the most famous physician of India - Dr. Bidhan Chandra Roy. To pay a tribute to all his contributions to the medical field in India, July 1st is the day the whole nation celebrates the doctors.
One day will never be enough to thank the doctors enough for what they do for us.
In India, doctors are considered second to god on the planet and that’s not only because they save lives with their great knowledge in medicine but also because it is one of the most selfless and thankless jobs.
What doctors and all the other health care workers have done for us, especially in the past year and a half is noteworthy.
Though we keep saying Doctors are next to god, do we treat them likewise? No! Every other day there’s at least one news of a doctor being assaulted.
In India, about 75% of doctors have dealt with some sort of violence in the course of their practice. In nearly half of the occurrences of violence reported in intensive care units (ICUs), the patient's relatives were actively involved in 70% of the cases. Almost every doctor in the emergency or casualty section has experienced verbal violence. Male doctors are more likely than female doctors to suffer workplace violence.
According to the Indian Medical Association, over 80% of doctors are stressed out in their jobs, and approximately 56% of them don't get enough sleep.
In India, the context of violence against healthcare professionals differs from that in the West. In India, the perpetrators of violence are mostly patient relatives, unidentified sympathizers, criminals, and even politicians. The most common reason for these assaults is financial implications because the government only covers about 33% of healthcare costs in India.
Other major causes of this violence are the negative picture painted of the doctors by the media, lack of communication and awareness, inadequate security arrangement for doctors, etc.
Dr. Nilesh, a young intern says, "Ground reality of documented assaults on doctors is like an iceberg phenomenon. In our college, every day some healthcare worker (HCW), including doctors, is threatened or faces some or the other assault. Nowadays, relatives, especially those of a COVID patient fight for the handover of the body and then directly attack the doctor, who is just following the protocol issued by the health ministry."
"With so much fear how can one work?" asks Dr. Swati Rane, founder-chief executive (CEO) at Seva Shakti and vice president of Clinical Nursing Research Society (CNRS). "We talk about giving international level quality care in public hospitals, so why not international safety policies for HCW? Look at the National Health Service (NHS) from the UK. They have proper departments for HCW safety. This needs strong political will and support in India."
With the surge in violent occurrences, doctors are becoming more hesitant to take on critical and life-threatening situations, compromising healthcare and defeating the objective of the healthcare delivery system.
The above graph shows the number of strikes held by doctors from 2007 to 2019 against these acts of violence. As days pass these numbers will only increase if proper actions are not taken.
We all can play an important role in ensuring the safety of doctors while they are busy saving lives. The most important step is being aware and spreading awareness. Be informed of the state of the patient’s health. Doctors practice medicine; they cannot perform miracles, and not everyone can be recovered. Based on carelessness, doctors cannot be held liable for every death that occurs in the hospital. The cost of treatment rises as the treatment progresses. If you are not happy with a doctor, you can consult with the relevant authority and decide whether or not to continue care.
Doctors will not be able to perform to their full capacity unless the hospital atmosphere is free of fear and violence, therefore ending violence against doctors is important.