The attack on a doctor at a Porvorim hospital has triggered an animated debate over the safety of doctors and the triggers that drive family members of patients into a violent reaction. While police have bowed down to the pressure of the Indian Medical Association and swiftly arrested those accused of the assault, a video has surfaced of the doctor threatening to "kill him" giving the incident yet another twist.
Gynaecologist and Obstetrician Dr Amol Tilve alleged an assault against him over a death of a newborn child on Friday. The doctor claimed that the child had a rare condition that was difficult to diagnose and was referred to the GMC.
The assault on the doctor is a serious offence, and so is the doctor’s retaliatory threat to 'kill'. It is unfortunate that a doctor has been assaulted at a time when the entire State and country is rallying behind medicos as frontline warriors and saviours. Police have effected arrests and the IMA has promptly thanked them for swinging into action. Now, the question is whether this settles the larger issue that the medical fraternity is facing.
The prevailing laws and periodic police interventions have failed to act as a deterrent against such violence across India. Around 75 per cent of the doctors have encountered various types of abuse, with 68 per cent cases involving assault by the families of patients. There is a constant call from physicians and medical students across the country for a sturdy and air-tight law to counteract violence against medicos.
The Porvorim incident highlights the fact that we need to look within and redefine systems as a deterrence. A medical situation like this needs better handling and redressal. It is human nature to respond violently when there is a loss of life, and that too when the call is most unexpected. The majority of the attacks on doctors and medical staff have happened when there is a loss of near and dear ones, or for the fear of it. It is an emotional outburst that is triggered by the moment.
Hospitals deal with patients and human lives. When this family walked inside the Porvorim hospital, they entrusted the life of the lady and her to-be-born child to Dr Tilve and his team. Doctors take on God-like roles in critical situations and hence this huge expectation of healing and recovery. The human tendency is to be suspicious and react violently, when these expectations are not met and when lives are lost.
While the law takes its course, the medical fraternity has to introspect and find out ways to diffuse such situations before they turn violent. A medical grievance cell is a welcome step, but more needs to be done. Let's not forget the fact that families in hospitals are going through distress and need constant engagement and counselling. They have to be informed of every minute detail including the procedures undertaken, the line of treatment, possible outcomes and recovery. A doctor cannot be at liberty of decision-making by keeping the family in the dark. Silence and secrecy only give root to thoughts of medical negligence, specifically in times of failure.
The medical fraternity has done exemplary service to humanity in these tough times and has drawn praise from every quarter. The Chief Justice of India has recently praised doctors for their services, and termed them as “living gods and goddesses” and “heroes without capes". We need to protect our warriors, but also see such issues through a more humane prism rather than exclusively relying on legal remedies.
