Healthcare workers demand SOPs in hospitals to deal with acts of violence

Hyderabad: Over 400 healthcare workers from Telangana, who participated in a nationwide survey to assess awareness and functioning of various violence prevention laws for healthcare personnel in India, highlighted an alarming gap in awareness of these laws. In Telangana, 28% of respondents were unaware of the laws. Moreover, less than 8% respondents actually think that the existing laws are functioning effectively.They also want standard operating procedures (SOPs) for each hospital that could be activated immediately when an act of violence occurs.
The survey, conducted by All India Federation of Government Doctors' Association (AIFGDA), also includes suggestions from doctors, such as having mandatory emotional support for grieving relatives of patients and using social media to create awareness. These suggestions have been submitted to the Centre for consideration for upgradation of rules.
Key recommendations include having stronger laws by involving medical associations to address issues related to violence against healthcare professionals, establishing a dedicated medical service cadre akin to All India Services (IAS, IPS & IRS) with only doctors eligible for selection, implementing crowd control measures at hospitals, and having a dedicated central govt law in place.
"Designate hospitals as protection zones with dedicated security personnel to manage crowd and maintain order. Hospitals should install alarm systems with speakers in every ward to enable efficient communication during emergencies. Security personnel should be present in every shift to manage crowd. Also, hospitals should be mandated to establish an organised body responsible for providing emotional support to grieving relatives of patients," the report said.