Currently as we battle the COVID-19 pandemic, none of the professions is under as much stress as the medical profession. In spite of taking considerable risk, working in odd conditions and at odd hours, some of them are facing verbal and physical violence. Verbal aggression or violence is so common that none of the doctors can claim that he has not encountered such behaviour from the patient and his acquaintance for no fault. In this scenario, the Central Government has brought an ordinance to end violence against health workers with provision for imprisonment of up to seven years for the guilty along with a fine.
Violence against doctors is not new, but manifold increase in is alarming in our country. A study conducted by the Indian Medical Association found that 75 per cent of the surveyed doctors had suffered some form of physical violence while being on hospital duty. Several such incidents have been reported from India in past.
The recent violence faced by a doctor during COVID-19 pandemic has again elicited the focus of the media and the political establishment.
The authors being orthopaedic surgeons having experience of dealing with patients after simple to life threatening accidents, have also faced such abuse. Most of the doctors nowadays are working under some sort of fear, be it legal or physical abuse.
How can you expect best services to be delivered to the society in such an atmosphere? It becomes difficult to understand how health workers are at fault while taking risks and performing their duties door to door amidst the COVID-19 pandemic.
In one recent case, after reaching the suspected patient’s house, the situation escalated to such an extent that the health workers faced the risk of mob violence which could be potentially fatal.
It seems such people are prejudiced and hostile not only towards health workers but the entire government machinery trying to control the pandemic. It is a very dangerous trend for the nation.
We personally feel that the situation is pathetic as this kind of the street justice is commonly seen in medical practice nowadays. If the situation is still not controlled, it is and will be a serious threat to the medical profession.
No one can say for sure that he will not need medical advice during his life from womb to tomb. Violence against doctors is a heinous crime.
The perpetrators should be penalised and a strong message should to be sent to the society that anybody breaking the law will have to bear the consequences, so that others are discouraged from committing the crime.
The union health minister, Dr Harsh Vardhan, has taken quick action during his tenure to make a bill for violence against a doctor or healthcare personnel as a non-bailable offence with a minimum of 10 year jail term and Rs 10 lakh fine. Once it is implemented, it will be a milestone to control this menace.
The Prime Minister Narendra Modi appealed the general public to appreciate the efforts of all the doctors, paramedical staff, policemen and media persons by Tali- Thali programme for five minutes on the day of Janata curfew.
This appeal was honoured by most of the people of the country irrespective of caste, creed, class, religion and region to show their gratitude to the frontline workers in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic.
Contrary to this there have been incidents of abuse against several health workers and frontline workers in India who are exposing themselves and doing their duties to prevent the spread of COVID-19. Though the incidents of violence against doctors and other health workers are few but they are eye opening.
At times, it seems the gratitude shown by the public on March 22 was to make Tik-Tok videos and use it as a photo-opportunity to be posted in the time of lockdown.
We can imagine, that had these violent outbreaks not been during the pandemic there would have been nationwide protest by the doctors and the other health workers but the medical fraternity has again shown restrain.
It should be mentioned that medical workers who were victimised forgave the abusers and also visited the same places the next day to help the same abusers.
In spite of all the hue and cry about the Indore incident another shameful incident happened in Moradabad, UP where a team of health workers and police personnel were attacked by a mob when they went to screen the COVID-19 suspects.
It is known that this viral infection can be fatal with the virulence of COVID-19 reported to be 10 times more than that of any viral infection. Here, one would like to re- emphasise that more than 20 lakh people are infected and around 1.4 lakh people have died all over the world since the emergence of COVID-19.
In spite of taking all precautions of personal safety including the use of personal protective equipment even in developed nations like Italy and Spain, 10 % of the health worker had contracted the COVID-19 infection and died. Considering the socio-economic and health infrastructure of India, one can imagine how difficult it would be for health workers directly involved with the COVID-19 patients to give them health care services.
In general the response from the society had been the same as our Prime Minister, Narendra Modi anticipated in his appeal to the nation to give all kind of support to all health workers and frontline workers to increase their morale in the fight against the fatal COVID-19 virus. But contrary to the PM’s appeal, things have gone in very different ways in various instances.
It was painful to learn from mass media about certain neighbours and landlords of the health workers misbehaving and evicting these medical professionals out from their rented apartments citing unscientific reasons. We can imagine how disgusted these hard working saviours must have felt when after sacrificing so much to save the life of fellow citizens, they were treated like modern day untouchables. It is pathetic and shameful that the saviours are being victimised during this unprecedented health emergency.
The authors hope that the ordinance brought by the Centre will facilitate the desired change in the situation being experienced by health workers. Strict legal provisions and their proper implementation are necessary to safeguard the life of the saviours who are fighting against the fatal virus.
(The authors are orthopaedic surgeons based in Dehradun)