MUMBAI: As the medical fraternity continues to press for stronger legal protection following Shiv Sena corporator Ramesh Mhatre’s assault on doctors at Dombivli’s Shastri Nagar Municipal Hospital, Indian Medical Association (IMA) Tuesday shared an interactive digital grid documenting 100 assaults on doctors reported from across the country in recent years.The campaign comes even as studies show that violence against healthcare workers by patients or their relatives has emerged as a global public health concern. A review published in the indexed medical journal, Atencion Primaria, found that doctors in both developed and developing countries face workplace violence. It reported lifetime prevalence rates of 91% in Germany, 90% in China, 84.5% in Peru, 84% in Turkey and 77.3% in India.According to WHO, four in 10 healthcare workers experience physical violence during their careers. When verbal abuse is included, the proportion rises to over 60%.The triggers for the attacks are universal, be it Mumbai or Singapore: overcrowded hospitals, staff shortages, long waiting times, poor communication and unrealistic patient expectations.Dr Santosh Kadam, former state IMA chief blames the attacks on impatience. “We are becoming an impatient society. Everyone wants speedy results. People are spending money, so they want a 100% result,” he said.
Experts caution that ha-rsher laws alone are unlikely to solve the problem. They underline the need for a combination of measures, including greater investment in healthcare, stronger enforcement of laws, improved doctor-patient communication and awareness campaigns. Many Euro-pean countries observe Ma-rch 12 as a day to raise awareness about violence against healthcare professionals.In India, 19 states have enacted laws to protect healthcare workers, attacks continue. “What we need is one national law,” said Dr Suhas Pingle, former Maharashtra Medical Council member.In Maharashtra, 738 cases were registered under Maharashtra Medicare Service Persons and Medicare Service Institutions (Prevention of Violence and Damage or Loss to Property) Act between 2010 and 2021, but only four ended in convictions.Spain strengthened legal protection by recognising assaults on healthcare workers as crimes against the state; assaults dropped by half. In Singapore, those who abuse healthcare workers can face a fine of up to S$5,000, jail for up to 12 months, or both.In India, Dr Kadam said, abuse is far more widespread than official records indicate. Dr Pingle said, “Medical practice has become tech-driven and expectations of patients are sky high. Barely 2% of the budget is meant for healthcare. Doctors have to see hundreds of patients in a short span of time. This creates an environment where the risk of violence is high,” he said.
