{"id":51075,"date":"2021-10-04T17:07:42","date_gmt":"2021-10-04T16:07:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.bmj.com\/bmj\/?p=51075"},"modified":"2021-10-07T10:59:38","modified_gmt":"2021-10-07T09:59:38","slug":"solving-systemic-violence-against-healthcare-workers-in-india","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.bmj.com\/bmj\/2021\/10\/04\/solving-systemic-violence-against-healthcare-workers-in-india\/","title":{"rendered":"Solving systemic violence against healthcare workers in India"},"content":{"rendered":"<p class=\"standfirst\">Violence against healthcare workers is a chronic and growing problem in India. Siddhesh Zadey and colleagues look at how it can be tackled<\/p>\n<p><!--more--><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">In early June this year, an <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.hindustantimes.com\/india-news\/assam-doctor-assaulted-after-covid-19-patient-dies-cm-calls-it-barbaric-attack-101622568541422.html\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">aggrieved mob made up of the family of a patient who had died<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> brutally assaulted a doctor in Assam, India. A week earlier, a <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.freepressjournal.in\/india\/four-of-family-arrested-for-assaulting-karnataka-doctor\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">paediatrician from Chikkamagaluru, Karnataka, was ruthlessly attacked<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> by the bereaved relatives of a 6 year old. These shocking events are only a handful of many incidents of violence against healthcare workers that take place globally each year. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">The World Health Organization defines <\/span><a href=\"http:\/\/www.ilo.org\/wcmsp5\/groups\/public\/---ed_protect\/---protrav\/---safework\/documents\/instructionalmaterial\/wcms_108542.pdf\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">workplace violence in the health sector<\/span><\/a> as any incident where a member of healthcare staff is abused, threatened, or assaulted in circumstances relating to their work, including commuting to and fro from work, and which involves an explicit or implicit challenge to their safety and wellbeing. It creates a ripple effect of harm. One of the authors of this article experienced assault in their hospital. After the incident, they developed a sense of fear while looking after <span style=\"font-weight: 400\">their patients that caused both personal distress and affected the quality of care they could provide.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">In India, violence against healthcare workers has been a chronic, systemic, and <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.jhrr.org\/article.asp?issn=2394-2010;year=2018;volume=5;issue=3;spage=153;epage=160;aulast=Ranjan\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">growing problem over the past decade<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">. Yet the covid-19 pandemic has seen a <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thelancet.com\/journals\/lancet\/article\/PIIS0140-6736(20)31191-0\/fulltext\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">further increase in violence<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">, making <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.devex.com\/news\/health-workers-in-india-mexico-saw-most-covid-19-related-violence-in-2020-99211\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">India one of the most unsafe countries<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> for healthcare workers<\/span><b>. <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Data from the <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Safeguarding Health in Conflict Coalition<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> show that during the pandemic there has been a sharp rise in the number of healthcare workers assaulted in India, from <a href=\"https:\/\/data.humdata.org\/dataset\/shcchealthcare-dataset\/resource\/b23b91e2-9146-4275-899f-6db47b22fedb\">49 in 2017<\/a> to <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/data.humdata.org\/showcase\/attacks-on-health-care-during-the-covid-19-response#datasets-anchor\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">155 in 2020<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Healthcare workers are <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thelancet.com\/journals\/lancet\/article\/PIIS0140-6736(14)60658-9\/fulltext\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">four times more<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> likely to be assaulted than other professionals in the general workplace, with <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ijcmph.com\/index.php\/ijcmph\/article\/view\/2911\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">junior doctors<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> and nurses in government hospitals likely to be more at risk. Working in an <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/pmc\/articles\/PMC5520583\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">emergency department, intensive care unit<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">, or isolated area also seems to put healthcare workers at greater risk, especially during morning outpatient hours and late night shifts. Miscommunication between healthcare workers and patients and their visitors,<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> dissatisfaction with care,<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> delayed medical provision, <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">violation of visiting hours, the psychological stress of a patient\u2019s family members, denial of hospital admission, and the sudden demise of patients are <a href=\"https:\/\/jcdr.net\/article_fulltext.asp?issn=0973-709x&amp;year=2016&amp;volume=10&amp;issue=11&amp;page=LC06&amp;issn=0973-709x&amp;id=8895\">all considered key factors <\/a>in violence against healthcare workers<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.frontiersin.org\/articles\/10.3389\/fpubh.2020.570459\/full\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Within the health system<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">, improper management due to limited resources and staff in public hospitals, high care costs, and extended stays in private hospitals are key to inciting conflicts<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">. <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">During the pandemic, <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/pmj.bmj.com\/content\/early\/2020\/08\/18\/postgradmedj-2020-138496.long\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">widespread fear, mistrust, and myths<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> about covid-19 aggravated violence against healthcare workers.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">To counter this growing threat to healthcare workers\u2019 safety<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">, governments should enact and enforce strong legal solutions. Twenty five Indian states and union territories (UTs) have so far adopted the Medicare Service Persons And Medicare Service Institutions (Prevention of violence and damage or loss to property) <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Act that punishes violent perpetrators<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">. <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Under this act, any violence against healthcare workers is a non-bailable offence (except in Chhattisgarh) and can lead to three years of imprisonment (except in Arunachal Pradesh, Punjab, Tamil Nadu, and Puducherry), with a fine of up to 50 000 rupees (US $674) (except in Arunachal Pradesh, Delhi, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, and Puducherry).<\/span> <span style=\"font-weight: 400\">States and UTs have modified the same act and, confusingly, several variations exist, with some more stringent than others. Yet four states and five UTs in India still have no law to tackle violence against healthcare workers. Even where legislation is in place, it&#8217;s been reported that <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/economictimes.indiatimes.com\/news\/politics-and-nation\/sc-asks-centre-to-respond-to-plea-seeking-court-direction-on-increasing-attacks-on-doctors\/articleshow\/71012920.cms\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">fewer than 10% of the cases<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> logged under this act reached the courts after charges were filed. <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Despite widespread recognition of the problem and several calls from medical associations, there is still no national legislation in place.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">A recent attempt to introduce The Healthcare Services Personnel And Clinical Establishments (Prohibition of Violence and Damage to Property) Bill at the central (federal) level was rejected by the Home Ministry. <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">During the pandemic, the amended <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Epidemic Diseases Act (1897) is being enforced so that violence against healthcare workers is met with <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ijalr.in\/2020\/11\/esiverating-epidemic-diseases-amendment.html\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">stricter punishments<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">. However, it will dissolve once the pandemic is declared over, leaving the problem unsolved. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">India needs to invest in the <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ajpmonline.org\/article\/S0749-3797(00)00290-7\/fulltext\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">surveillance of violent incidents<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> at national and local levels by creating a detailed database that helps us to understand the actual burden of the problem and formulate an effective prevention programme. Enactment of a central law and improved enforcement of existing state laws are steps that governments must take to grant justice to healthcare workers who have experienced violence and abuse in the line of duty.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Steps can also be taken within hospitals to minimise the risk to workers. Hospital administrations should adopt standard protocols for violent incidents. Infographics shunning violence, alarm systems, improved security, strict weapons prohibition, grievance cells to lodge disputes, limiting the number of visitors, counselling for bereaved families, and mock drills training healthcare workers to take <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.researchgate.net\/profile\/Gordon-Gillespie\/publication\/272658728_Workplace_violence_A_call_for_action\/links\/551733ac0cf2f7d80a39e7d4\/Workplace-violence-A-call-for-action.pdf\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">prompt action<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> like notifying security in an escalating situation<\/span> <span style=\"font-weight: 400\">are all interventions that can reduce violence against healthcare workers. Emerging evidence shows that giving hospitals specific data on their organisation\u2019s record of violence helps them to draw up <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/journals.lww.com\/joem\/Abstract\/2017\/01000\/Preventing_Patient_to_Worker_Violence_in.4.aspx\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">effective action plans for violence prevention, leading to a lower incidence of violence<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">. Hospitals should employ a <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.sciencedirect.com\/science\/article\/pii\/S0019483216303157?via%3Dihub\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">representative<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> to communicate with the media about such incidents. Zero tolerance policies towards violence, which clearly define unacceptable behaviour and the consequences of violation, also need to be in place.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">The<\/span> <span style=\"font-weight: 400\">media also has a part in shaping public opinion about healthcare workers and in offering a balanced portrayal of their work, rather than a sensationalised one. News reports are an essential data source for the surveillance of violence against healthcare workers in India and, consequently, should be meticulously reported. The media has a responsibility to advocate for the lives of healthcare workers and broadcast awareness about legal penalties.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Citizens have a moral responsibility to condemn any kind of violence against healthcare workers too. Solving this systemic problem will require citizen stewardship in activism, advocacy, and support for healthcare workers. Non-governmental organisations and civil societies can raise awareness, build bridges between communities and healthcare workers, and mobilise people to call on the government to take legal action and increase <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/journals.sagepub.com\/doi\/full\/10.1177\/25166026211017338\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">healthcare funding<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Finally, at the individual level, healthcare workers should undergo training in safety and identification of early markers of violence to help them manage or prevent interactions that turn aggressive. <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.rand.org\/pubs\/research_reports\/RR3148.html\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">De-escalation training<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> can help healthcare workers to minimise the impact of violent incidents. But if violence does erupt, social media groups comprised of healthcare workers can be used to send emergency messages. Furthermore, involving patients in decision making and improved professional training on delivering bad news to patients and their families can reduce conflicts arising due to miscommunication.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Violence against healthcare workers needs to be acknowledged as a social problem that requires action at multiple levels. Continued violence can lead to large scale unrest among healthcare workers that will, in turn, disrupt the health system and, ultimately, harm patient care. The rise in violence during the covid-19 pandemic, paired with the widespread recognition of the essential societal role of our healthcare workers, makes this an opportune moment to urge hospital administrators, policy makers, and politicians to act on this problem. Ensuring the safety of healthcare workers is a collective moral responsibility and pragmatic necessity for any law abiding society.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><em><b>Aatmika Nair<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> is a medical officer at the District Tuberculosis Centre under <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">District TB Control Society<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> Mumbai, Maharashtra, India. She volunteers at the <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Association for Socially Applicable Research (ASAR), a non-profit non-governmental organisation in Pune, <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Maharashtra, India.\u00a0<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n<p><em><b>Sweta Dubey<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> is a practising doctor in Nagpur, <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Maharashtra, India, and a <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">co-founder of <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">ASAR.\u00a0<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n<p><em><b>Vincy Koshy<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> is a medical graduate from the Maharashtra Institute of Medical Education and Research, Pune, Maharashtra, India, and a research volunteer at ASAR.<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n<p><em><b>Madhav Bansal<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> is an ASAR research intern and a second year medical student at the Institute of Medical Sciences &amp; Sum Hospital, Bhubaneswar, Odisha, India.\u00a0<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n<p><em><b>Swasti Deshpande<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> is a medical officer at Deenanath Mangeshkar Hospital and Research Center, Pune, Maharashtra, India, and a research volunteer at ASAR.<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n<p><em><b>Siddhesh Zadey<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> is a senior research aide at Duke Surgery, a global health researcher, and a co-founder of <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">ASAR.<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n<p><b>Acknowledgements: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">We acknowledge the contributions of <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Shalmali Satpute and Kiran Khuntia for providing essential research assistance and data curation.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Competing interests: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">The authors have read and understood BMJ policy on declaration of interests and report no competing interests.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Violence against healthcare workers is a chronic and growing problem in India. Siddhesh Zadey and colleagues look at how it can be tackled [&#8230;]<\/p>\n<p><a class=\"btn btn-secondary understrap-read-more-link\" href=\"https:\/\/blogs.bmj.com\/bmj\/2021\/10\/04\/solving-systemic-violence-against-healthcare-workers-in-india\/\">More&#8230;<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":419,"featured_media":51078,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[447],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-51075","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-india"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.4 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Solving systemic violence against healthcare workers in India - The BMJ<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/blogs.bmj.com\/bmj\/2021\/10\/04\/solving-systemic-violence-against-healthcare-workers-in-india\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Solving systemic violence against healthcare workers in India - The BMJ\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Violence against healthcare workers is a chronic and growing problem in India. 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