IMA Writes To Amit Shah Demanding Effective Law Against Violence On Healthcare Workers

IMA said it has been estimated that healthcare workers are four times likely to be injured and require time away from work due to workplace violence than all other workers combined.

New Delhi: Asserting the violence against doctors in India is an emerging epidemic in itself, the Indian Medical Association (IMA) has written to Union Home Minister Amit Shah stating there needs to be urgent corrective actions at various levels to bring a halt to this heinous crime.

Stating a stringent law and strict enforcement are the need of the hour, the IMA said it has been estimated that healthcare workers are four times likely to be injured and require time away from work due to workplace violence than all other workers combined.

“Statistics show that over 75% of doctors across the country have faced at least some form of violence and that 68.33% of the violence was committed by the patient’s attenders /escorts. But these numbers are an underestimate as all cases of violence are not reported. Doctors often acknowledge the situation of the relatives of the patient who are in distress and do not report such cases. Mostly, those cases are reported where the doctor feels a serious threat of life,” the IMA said.

Pointing out that the violence includes verbal abuse, telephonic threats, physical assault, murder, and arson, the IMA said the effects of such violent episodes extend longer than the experience itself, where most doctors report to have faced insomnia, depression, anxiety, and an inability to see their patients without any fear of violence.

The IMA said it has been constantly requesting the government to enact a central law with IPC section, fixing the responsible officers to investigate, time frame for investigation and punishments to the culprits, as early as possible, without the option for bail.

“A bill named Prohibition of Violence and Damage to Property Bill, 2019, was drafted by the health ministry in 2019. But the home ministry dismissed the need for a separate law to check violence against a specific profession. At this pandemic, we also demand Hospitals shall be declared as protected Zone and mandatory official observance by police are implemented in all Hospital premises,” the IMA said.

“IMA is looking forward with hope to our Hon’ble Home Minister to restore peace amidst Health Care professionals, by enacting and enforcing a stringent Central act to protect, safeguard and promote optimum environment for Health Care Professionals in our country,” added the national voluntary organisation of physicians in India.

Stating the second wave of Corona pandemic is “playing havoc in our country with overcrowding of hospital beds, apparent scarcity of Oxygen, drugs and burial grounds”, the IMA said the stress level on the people are souring up.

“The Government of India enacted the Hospital Protection Ordinance under the epidemic Disease Act 1897 to prevent violence against doctors, Hospitals and Healthcare workers in the last year with the efforts of the Hon’ble Home Minister. Similarly, the Hospitals and Healthcare Prevention Act were enacted and in practice in 19 states. However, the enforcement of this act is poor because it is not tagged to the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC),” the IMA said.

“This makes it difficult for victims to file a complaint as well as the police to register their complaint because of the difficulty in recognizing which section to file the case under and hence very often the culprits go scot free. COVID-19 has brought fear, uncertainty and anxiety among people in an unprecedented fashion, serves as an explosive fuel to a raging fire,” the IMA added.

Highlighting that relatives are showing their anger and frustration by attacking hospitals and doctors due to the mounting pandemic crisis and acute shortage of either drug, oxygen or bed when a patient is dying, the IMA said “this will bring down morale of health care professionals”, adding "many lady doctors, junior doctors and staff are humiliated and abused".

“It is, truly disheartening when one learns about incidents of abuse and ostracism against HCPs, as the problem of violence against doctors in India is increasing steadily and we the Indian doctors are teetering on the brink of a major silent crisis, amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, which is detrimental for the growth of the society in the coming times,” the IMA said.