If You’re Sick Today, You’re in Trouble! ‘Cause Private Doctors are on Strike
If You’re Sick Today, You’re in Trouble! ‘Cause Private Doctors are on Strike to condemn the violence against doctors in West Bengal, called by the Indian Medical Association (IMA) nationwide, and the Mangaluru Chapter of IMA has also joined in the strike. In a statement, the IMA said it was worried over the brutal attack on Dr. Paribha Mukherjee at NRS Medical College in Kolkata. The World Medical Association has passed a resolution against violence on healthcare centres and called for bringing strong legislation.
Mangaluru: Gone are the days when only Beedi Workers, Laborers, Govt workers and so on used to go on strike- but unfortunately these days we are seeing even Doctors going on strike-thereby putting the patients in hardship and all kind of inconveniences. Oh well, looks like a Global Warming or Global Change! There’s nothing much one can do- when the Doctors want their grievances to be settled by the government or the concerned department/authorities- nobody can stop them from striking or staying away from work. Their grievances have to be heard by the government so that they can carry on with their duties treating patients without fear from being attacked from the kith and kin of the patients, if a small mistake is made. However, if you got sick today, and sought treatment from private doctors or private hospitals-you are totally in trouble and face all kinds of inconveniences looking for healthcare/treatment. Your only option is to go to a government hospital or govt nursing home. Oh well!
Before going further into my article, here is a short message from Dr Padmanabh Kamath, Prof and HOD, Department of Cardiology-KMC, Mangaluru, where he states, ” Hey Doc! How’s your health? Have you ever come across this phrase in your day to day life? Answer is NO…Because we in the society take it for granted that doctors are here to heal others pains and they themselves don’t have a life of their own..
Every life is precious.. Doctors work day and night to fulfill the needs of the patients and their relatives and at times they even forget their own family life.. I know so many doctors who have hardly taken any vacations in the last decade or so solely to accomplish their duty of a healer. We need to respect the sentiments of both doctors and patients. Violence on doctors is not the answer to vent your anger on the health care system. A doctor ever since he takes the Hippocratic oath and starts his life in public domain has always been a soft target and is most vulnerable in the unforgiving society. We need to change the way we look at things. Respect is something which should be commanded and cannot be demanded”.
Well said by Dr Kamath! The Indian Medical association (IMA) had announced on Sunday that it will go ahead with its strike on 17 June with withdrawal of non-essential health services across the country in the wake of the recent assault on doctors in West Bengal. The announcement came a day after Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan asked states to consider enacting specific legislation for protecting doctors from any form of violence. The apex medical body, IMA, however, demanded a comprehensive central law in dealing with violence on doctors and health care staff, and in hospitals. Security measures and determinants leading to violence should be addressed, said IMA. All OPD’s in private hospitals and clinics remained shut today in the City, and the only option for patients to get treatment was at Govt run hospitals and clinics.
Recalling the incident, where a junior doctor was left with a fractured skull during the clashes between doctors at the NRS Medical College-Kolkota (WB), and the mob, few days ago. The clashes were triggered by the death of a 75-year-old patient. The family alleged that he died due to medical negligence and thronged the hospital at night, attacking the resident doctors. The widespread protests with its centre stage at NRS have now spread across West Bengal, and other parts of India, while Delhi and Mumbai doctors also joining them a day after Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee issuing an ultimatum in Kolkata.
A meeting of doctors/physicians/junior doctors/medical students/health care staff and other employees in medical field was held at the IMA Hall, near Hampankatta, Mangaluru chaired by Dr Sachindanand Rai- President of IMA Mangaluru; Dr Sandeep Rai- President of Association of Medical Consultants, Mangaluru; Dr Chrsitopher Pais-President of Association of Physicians of India, Mangaluru; Dr Prashanth Marla- Medical Director, A J Hospital and Research Centre, Dr Yuosuf Kumble- CEO, Indiana Hospital; among others.
Dr Prashanth Marla suggested that installing of CCTV’s are prominent places in the hospitals/clinics will be a great idea to prevent attacks, and also will be easy for the police to crack down on the case. Also having proper security, including a bunch of armed security will also serve the purpose, until government comes up a positive action in protecting the doctors. Many other doctors participating in the meeting came up with different kind of solutions to ease out all the attacks on doctors- and the doctors associations have decided to chalk down all the ideas put forth by the participating doctors in this meeting, and come to a final decision soon.
Speaking to Team Mangaloraen Dr Sachindanand Rai- President of IMA-Mangaluru Chapter said, “Our organization has moved into a agitation mode following increasing incidences of violence against doctors and health care establishments. And today’s strike is in support of the attack on the young doctor in Kolkota, who is critical and fighting for his life. The IMA demands a national law against hospital violence that provides minimum seven years imprisonment for perpetrators of hospital violence. It demands a law that would ensure cases are registered and culprits are arrested and convicted. Mandatory provisions in the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act be instituted. The IMA wants hospitals to be declared special zones and the State to provide security to them”..
“All branches of IMA will email an appeal for a Central law against hospital violence to the Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Union Home Minister Amit Shah. World Medical Association has also passed a resolution against violence on the health care sectors and has urged to bring stronger legislation against this menace. We strongly condemn the brutal violence at NRS Medical college, and the entire medical fraternity of Mangaluru have expressed solidarity to the seriously injured doctor. IMA is ready for an agitation to press for strong legislation and strict action against hospital violence” added Dr Rai.
Also speaking Dr Sudhindra Rao M- Hon Secretary of IMA-Mangaluru Chapter said, “National Law against violence on hospitals has to be brought in urgently. To ensure that the cases are registered, culprits are arrested and conviction is necessitated, appropriate mandatory provisions as provided in the POCSO act has to be instituted. Hospitals should be declared as special zones and provision of appropriate security should be the responsibility of the state. It has been observed that the increase in violence will adversely affect the public health at large. Not only the patients undergoing the treatment in the institution facing violence will be directly affected but also there are lot of indirect consequences. Institutions will be reluctant to take up complicated and risky patients which will affect public health at large. Threat of violence increases the stress levels of health care workers. Sound judgment regarding patient care will be compromised in such situations”.
In conclusion, in my perspective, The ignorance of police personnel should be penalized. Even if they do know the law, they give importance and sympathy to the patients’ relatives, which in my opinion, should be curbed. According to one senior doctor speaking to Team Mangalorean said that one crucial task is to train junior doctors to communicate more effectively with patients and their family members. Medical colleges should stop waiting for the stodgy Medical Council of India to introduce changes in the medical curriculum and instead take the initiative to train doctors to become more accommodating in answering questions and more empathetic in their manner.
Ineffective communication or delay in attending to a patient can easily drive them over the edge. Since most patients lack health insurance, at times, the diagnosis comes as a financial disaster and shocks them into emotional turmoil. This results in the displacement of anger toward the physician. Most government hospitals lack adequate security personnel. During the late hours, it is often the medical officer who plays the role of the doctor, as well as that of the security guard. There is no established protocol for tackling violence or assault incidents. Laws against doctor assault should be prominently displayed on the walls of the hospital.
On the other hand, there are certain media which has played a major role in demonizing doctors with the purpose of peddling news. Journalism has become increasingly combative and, as a result, indicting doctors sans proof has been normalized. This brand of journalism sells a negative image of the medical community. Since it might be callous to pin the blame on the patient or the attendants, some media outlets find it convenient to scapegoat the physician, causing the public to start a witch hunt, no less. Such fear mongering has sown seeds of deep suspicion in the minds of the people. For instance, among few media outlets, there has been a predilection to suggest that due to the striking resident doctors, emergency cases are being compromised, which is factually wrong as the only reason senior doctors have not joined the protests is to ensure emergencies are covered.
Decades ago, people went into the medical profession for the predominant vision of serving the ailing mankind, and thus were viewed as saints. But recently, with the privatization of healthcare, some doctors were blamed of being driven by greed and of embracing unethical practices. The ravenous media rapidly jumped to conclusions and published sensational stories of organ theft, medical negligence and malpractice. Reports about unnecessary tests and needless invasive procedures have caused patients’ distrust to grow. Government hospitals here follow the welfare model, as the majority of the population is poor and does not have health insurance. Such hospitals, offering subsidized medical care are flooded with patients and their attendants.
Doctors should work with the government in creating an effective strategy to prevent hospital violence. Security personnel should be posted at the entrance of every hospital and should not let anyone through without checking for identification. Weapons should be confiscated before allowing passage to anyone. All attendants must register at the front desk and be given a visitor badge to be worn at all times. No more than two attendants should be allowed with the patient. To ensure doctor safety, every hospital should create an emergency protocol and an evacuation plan in case of a major act of violence.
Violence in any form and, in any setting, is despicable.However, acts of violence in a hospital are the most extreme and should be dealt with an iron hand. Hospitals are sanctums of healing and recuperation. In addition to jeopardizing the safety of medical personnel, violence threatens patient safety and hampers their recovery to health. For the better of the society, doctors too — rather than giving the cold shoulder to the other aggrieved parties — should work in tandem with the government as well as the public, to tide over this crisis.
