Speak up Delhi: Doctors at govt hospitals feel vulnerable with rising attacks

For two days, the emergency services of three Delhi government hospitals remained shut last week, affecting patient care and causing discomfort to the senior doctors. Doctors’ Association members supported the shut down and shared that a serious action was needed. 

In the last two years, over 35 strikes have happened due to lack of security at the hospitals. Doctors at government institutions have faced assaults by patient’s relatives on a regular basis. These thrashings of doctors have led to a round of war between patients and doctors.

“Time and again there have been incidents where impatient patients walk into the doctor’s room and beat them up. Doctors have demanded higher security and alarm systems but nothing has been provided and this is creating a distrust between doctors and the authorities,” said a senior RDA member.

In the recent incident, where two resident doctors were beaten-up by a patient’s relatives so much so that the doctors are now admitted to the hospital. 

The resident doctors have now asked for increased security in every hospital and imposition of ‘One Patient, One Relative’ plan, under which only one attendant will be allowed with a patient. However, at Maulana Azad Medical College and its associated hospitals, there are total only 329 guards and a demand of another 702 was put in 2014, but it is still pending.

In November last year, a doctor was beaten-up at the Maharishi Valmiki Hospital following which 20,000 doctors across the city had gone on a strike. All out-patient departments remained close to demand better security and more guards at the hospital.

Federation of Residents Doctors’ Association (FORDA) India has been supporting the resident doctors and said that if demands will not meet, they will be forced to shut down healthcare services across the city. 

PAST IMPERFECT

In November last year, a doctor was beaten-up at the Maharishi Valmiki Hospital following which 20,000 doctors across the city had gone on a strike. All out-patient departments remained closed to demand better security and more guards at the hospital. FORDA has been supporting the resident doctors

VOICES

It is difficult to work in such hostile environments where doctors are assaulted for doing their job. The fault is at the back-end where medical institutions are lagging in providing sufficient services and staff, which affects patients,” 
—Dr Vijay Gurjar, Senior Resident, RDA, AIIMS

It is high time that our voices get heard. This is no way acceptable that a doctor is thrashed in his home environment by outsiders. Residentdoctors spend 15-16 hours in the hospital, it is like our home,” 
—Pankaj Solanki, Former President, FORDA

It is very annoying to go to the hospital and wait for hours to just get the doctor’s attention. We do not know whose fault it is, but we are at the receiving end in terms of treatment,” 
—Kamlesh Babbar, Housewife, resident of Vasant Kunj

We will support our doctors in any way we can. These strikes are justified as there is a need for the people and government to understand that we need a better environment to do our jobs peacefully,”  
—Dr Harjit Singh Bhatti, President, RDA, AIIMS

The assault on doctors is not the best idea but I do not deny that we , as patients,  have to wait at hospitals for long hours. I would rather go to a private hospital than wait for hours for  treatment,” 
—Amit Agarwal, Businessman

I never opt for a government hospital as there is always something going on. Either there is too long a wait or the doctors are on strike. Private hospitals, even though charge more, provide much better services,”  
—Ayushmann Chawla, IT person

EXPERT SPEAK

People take out their anger on doctors who go all the way and take out time from their personal schedules to help patients. Delays happen not because doctors are not attending patients, but because they are overloaded with work. The government should be questioned for this. Also, people should be made aware that beating-up a doctor is a non-bailable offence and can land them in judicial custody,” 
Dr Vivek Chauksey, President. FORDA.