Violence against doctors and "Introspection"
HOPE CLINICS
Are Doctors at fault for increasing violence against Doctors ?
I was recently at a panel discussion where at least 2 senior people on the panel talked about ‘Introspection’ by doctors, improving their communication skills and documentation. Though this is incident was not unique and I have had the misfortune of having heard many leaders of the medical profession say from lofty platforms from time to time that doctors need to look within themselves also for the violence which is happening against them.
I felt like a girl who has been raped being asked to wear non revealing clothes or not go out at night ! There is no justification for raping a girl nor is there a justification for violence against doctors. This word “introspect” makes me feel that somehow it was my fault that patients relatives vandalized my clinic and thrashed me. Self defence is the only acceptable justification for any violence in IPC or BNS. In none of the incidents of violence against doctors were the doctors assaulting the mob and the mob retaliating in self defence.
a) People as well as some experts tend to think that increasing cost is a reason. However;
a. 70 % violence occurs in Government Hospitals
b. Violence does not occur in high end expensive corporate hospitals
c. Either way cost of treatment is not controlled or manipulated by doctors
i. Technology
ii. Consumer Protection Act
iii. Clinical Establishment Act and its compliances
iv. Accreditation NABH etc
v. Insurance; Introduced overbilling and fraudulent billing
b) People think poor communication is a reason when no other profession trains its members communication better than doctors. Any qualified doctor has given bad news to his patients at least 1000 times in his career. Will such a professional need advice on how to give bad news from an armchair psychologist.
c) People think poor documentation is one reason; This may be so for failing to defend a malpractice suit but cannot instigate violence.
d) People said the doctor was late in attending a serious patient and that is why he was beaten to death by those trying to justify the lynching of the doctor in Assam. Go through the log book, he was the only doctor to attend to patients 24 hours per day 365 days per year with no other doctor in vicinity. I would love to see other professionals keep such working hours.
My request to all experts, leaders, speakers, Presidents & Secretaries of medical organizations is to please do not ask Doctors to “introspect” for reasons of violence against them. Create a deterrent following the ‘Broken Window Hypothesis’. In current context ; the response to a verbal threat should be of such magnitude that no one dares to escalate his actions to a level which causes grievous injury / death of health care worker.
HOPE CLINICS
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