Healthcare Workers Report: The WHO has described this as a serious global concern. According to the organization, a significant number of healthcare workers worldwide experience some form of violence during their careers.

Healthcare workers WHO report

Healthcare Workers Report: The safety of doctors, nurses, and other healthcare workers working in hospitals is increasingly threatened. Healthcare workers, who work day and night to save patients' lives, are now facing violence, assault, and abusive behavior in many countries. The World Health Organization (WHO) has described this as a serious global concern. According to the organization, a large number of healthcare workers worldwide experience some form of violence during their careers. Attacks on doctors in India are also a frequent topic of discussion, raising serious questions about the safety of healthcare workers.

What came out in the WHO report?

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), 4 out of 10 healthcare workers worldwide experience physical violence at least once in their career. When verbal abuse, threats, and inappropriate behavior are included, this figure rises from 60 percent to 62 percent. A significant number of healthcare workers working in hospitals face some form of violence.

In which countries are doctors most victims of violence?

According to a review published in the Atención Primaria medical journal, violence against doctors and healthcare workers has become a serious problem not only in developing countries but also in developed countries. The highest number of cases of violence were recorded in Germany at 91 percent, followed by China at 90 percent, Peru at 84.5 percent, Turkey at 84 percent and India at 77.3 percent. Meanwhile, 63 percent of emergency doctors in Jordan, 55 percent in Bulgaria, 51.5 percent in Italy, 51 percent in Poland and 47 percent in the US also reported facing violence during their work.

Why are attacks on doctors increasing?

Experts say the reasons are similar across different countries. High patient loads in hospitals, a shortage of healthcare workers, long wait times, a lack of proper communication between doctors and patients, and high expectations regarding treatment often create stress, often leading to violence. Former state IMA president Dr. Santosh Kadam says that people's patience is steadily declining. People expect immediate and completely successful results after spending money on treatment. When this doesn't happen, anger is often directed at healthcare workers.

What is the situation in India?

Nineteen states in India have enacted various laws to protect healthcare workers, but attacks on doctors continue. Dr. Suhas Pingale, a former member of the Maharashtra Medical Council, argues that a national law is needed, rather than individual states. Between 2010 and 2021, 738 cases were registered in Maharashtra under the law related to the protection of healthcare workers.

How are other countries protecting doctors?

Many countries have taken various steps to protect healthcare workers. Spain classified assault on doctors as a crime against the state, resulting in a 16 percent reduction in violence in the following two years. In Singapore, inappropriate behavior toward healthcare workers is punishable by a fine of up to S$5,000, imprisonment of up to 12 months, or both. Healthcare workers here also receive specialized training. In the United Kingdom, patients who engage in violent behavior can be removed from a general practitioner's list, and such patients are also identified within the system. Several US states have enacted laws making assaulting healthcare workers a more serious crime.