Stick weapon revives debate about India's hospital security after murder case

Stick weapon revives debate about India's hospital security after murder case

In Neu-Delhi, a knife attack on a doctor in India triggered a passionate debate about whether sufficient measures for the protection of medical specialists in the often overcrowded and overwhelmed hospital departments of the population are taken.

doctors in the strike for security

demands for stricter security measures

"How should we treat patients if we don't know if we get out of ourselves?" Asked K. M. Abdul Hasan, President of the Indian Medical Association in the southern state of Tamil Nadu, in an interview with CNN. He added that on November 14th more than 40,000 doctors were on strike for a safe working environment for health personnel.

growing violence against medical specialists

In the past few weeks, CNN has spoken to about a dozen doctors, who all reported on an enemy work environment and a lack of security. Some doctors work in the capital Neu-Delhi, but they said that the Situation in remote health centers was far worse. A survey published in August after the murder of the prospective doctor showed that 78 % of the health specialists have been threatened during their service.

fear and uncertainty in everyday clinical practice

Another worrying part of the survey showed that 63 % of the respondents felt unsafe during night shifts. Especially in state hospitals or municipal health centers, the employees felt more uncertain than in private institutions. A doctor in a hospital in Delhi who wanted to remain anonymous reported: "Every doctor can tell of numerous incidents in which he verbally abused or experienced worse;

necessary legal changes

The murder of the prospective doctor in Kolkata occurred during her night shift when she briefly closed her eyes in a seminar room. A volunteer in the hospital was charged with rape and murder, and his process is underway. Indian laws demand that the identity of a rape victim are protected, which is why the woman is known as "abhaya", which means "without fear". Your case has the growing anger in India about the Endemiatic violence made to demand better protective measures.

inadequate reactions from the government

The Supreme Court of India has opened a case in connection with the murder and rape of the trainee doctor and used a national task force to recommend measures to improve security in hospitals. However, the Task Force has rejected the main concern of doctors to introduce a new law and argues that the Indian Criminal Code already contains sufficient laws.

The reality of doctors in India

After the murder in Kolkata, the government of West Bengal showed the instructions that female doctors should avoid night services. This led to a significant criticism of one of the highest judges of India who referred to the equality of the laws of the country, and sparked recentes among doctors. "Instead of protecting us and creating a safe work environment, you limit our job opportunities, which further disadvantages us and contradicts what we want," commented Banerjee from Kolkata.

demand for immediate measures

The doctor from Delhi reported that although she is not far from her hospital, the area was particularly unsure at night. "We have no transport to get to the hospital, and the dormitories are not well maintained, so we prefer not to stay on the premises," she said. The relationship between doctors and the population in India is one to 834, which the Minister of Health called in Parliament in February and thus exceeds the standard of the World Health Organization from one to 1,000. However, doctors point out that the lack of hospitals in rural areas and smaller cities in particular is a major problem.

a lost feeling of security

With the latest attacks on doctors, the feeling grows that is not done enough to protect them. "In the face of everything that happened, we lost our feeling of security. The hospital was once our area, we had it, but that is no longer the case," said the doctor from Delhi.