A study by the Indian Medical Association (IMA) found that over 35 per cent of 3,885 doctors, mainly women, felt unsafe or very unsafe during night shifts, leading some to carry weapons for self-defense. The study also revealed that a duty room was not available to 45 per cent of respondents. This issue is widespread across various medical institutions and regions in India and came to light after the horrific rape and murder of a trainee woman doctor at the RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata.
Chairman, Research Cell, Kerela State IMA, Dr. Rajeev Jayadevan and his team surveyed the largest number of respondents from over 22 states, revealing that 85 per cent of respondents were under 35, 61 per cent were interns or trainees, and 63 per cent were women. The study by IMA has found that a majority of women doctors feel unsafe in the practice, with 24.1 per cent feeling unsafe or very unsafe, and 11.4 per cent feeling unsafe, with women being the more affected.
The survey highlights that doctors aged 20-32 years, mainly interns and postgraduates, have the lowest sense of safety due to inadequate duty rooms. Overcrowding, lack of privacy, and missing locks make them difficult to access, nearly one-third of available rooms lack an attached bathroom, forcing doctors to find alternative rest areas.
Suggestions include improvements in healthcare security personnel and equipment, including increased trained personnel, CCTV cameras, proper lighting, implementing the CPA, restricting bystander numbers, alarm systems, and secure duty rooms. Infrastructure modifications, staffing, triaging, accessible duty rooms, bathrooms, food and drinking water, and crowd control are also crucial.
After the recent case, doctors nationwide called for a Central Protection Law to prevent violence in healthcare settings and enforce airport-like security measures, promoting safer working environments.
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