Perils in Practice: Prevention of Violence Against Healthcare Professionals

The book “Perils in Practice” was launched by Preeti Sudan, former Union Health Secretary, recently. The book is based on prevention of violence against healthcare professionals on Dr Archana Sharma’s death by suicide after constant harassment eight months ago.

Preeti Sudan commended the editors for providing a comprehensive and holistic view of the subject in the publication, and recommended that the first step in rectifying the situation be the appointment of an Ombudsman to mediate between doctor and patient in cases of dispute.

The Association of Healthcare Providers – India (AHPI), and the Indian Medical Association (IMA), the country’s two largest associations of healthcare providers (institutional and individual) jointly representing over 10,000 healthcare institutions and 3,75,000 individual healthcare professionals, have come together to tackle the healthcare sector’s most pressing problem — violence against healthcare professionals. After the distressing tragedy of Dr Archana Sharma’s death the AHPI and IMA have worked together on a publication to bring a spotlight on this difficult issue titled “Perils in Practice.

The book aims to empower healthcare workers in facing the challenges of violence at healthcare institutions, providing guidance on their protection (including more effective communication), and examining the role of the health sector, the media, policymakers, law enforcement, regulators, and the community.

Speaking at the release of the book the AHPI and IMA Presidents, Dr Alexander Thomas and Dr. Sahajanand Prasad Singh expressed their apprehension at the state of healthcare workers in India today and emphasized the urgent need for change. With the publication of this book cementing the relationship between the organizations, they hoped this would be the beginning of a national movement towards sensitization and empowerment.

On this occasion several eminent contributing chapter authors also spoke at the release, including Dr. R. V. Asokan (President-Elect of the IMA), Dr. K. K. Talwar (former Chair, Medical Council of India), D. V. Guruprasad (Former DGP, Karnataka), and Dr Girdhar Gyani ( DG, AHPI) among others.

What experts say
K. R. Balasubramanyam Senior Journalist, Bengaluru, said, “Being a doctor is not easy. In rural India, where public healthcare infrastructure is decrepit, doctors face a heightened risk at work, more so if one is a government doctor. In emergency situations, a patient brought to such a centre might die for want of facilities. Emotions can run high in such circumstances, even leading to physical assaults… Nothing can justify using foul language or physical attacks on a health worker. This book aims to throw light on the perils of the profession from the practitioner’s eyes.”

Gauri Kumar, IAS (Retd.), Former Secretary (Border Management), Ministry of Home Affairs, said, “Increasing instances of violence against healthcare workers and institutions are being witnessed across India, resulting in devastating effects on the morale of healthcare workers and also adversely affecting society. Equipping the healthcare workers and sensitizing the community will go a long way in effectively combating this menace. This book admirably fulfils this requirement by way of analyzing the challenges and providing workable solutions to the problem.” –

Dr. Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw, Executive Chairperson Biocon and Biocon Biologics, said, “Women are easy targets and extremely vulnerable during violence against healthcare workers. This book analyses the causative factors and offers implementable solutions to healthcare providers and related agencies. This menace can only be overcome through collaborative initiatives between key stakeholders in the healthcare system for the overall well-being of the community at large.”

Air Marshal (Dr.) Pawan Kapoor AVSM, VSM, Bar (Retd.), said, “One of the most valuable book that equips healthcare professionals with the necessary knowledge and skills to deal with violence in the workplace which is now assuming pandemic proportions. The book is a compilation of years of wisdom, experience and knowledge from several experts and renowned professionals in the field of medical practice, and addresses almost all aspects of preventing violence against healthcare professionals in an open, objective, impartial and transparent manner. The book provides an in-depth understanding of the subject and is a must-read not only for healthcare professionals but for every member of society who is even remotely connected with the medical profession— that truly means everyone.”

Dr. Mohan Lal Swarankar, Chairperson Emeritus Mahatma Gandhi University of Medical Sciences and Technology, Jaipur, said, “This exemplary work titled Perils in Practice: The Prevention of Violence against Healthcare Professionals shall be of immense benefit to every single person involved in healthcare delivery, from policy makers to caregivers to healthcare facility managers. This would certainly enable the healthcare workers to keep abreast of matters relating to healthcare delivery and to better equip themselves to handle situations of violence in the workplace. This all-inclusive book, with each chapter being admirably handled by experts in the field, will certainly be of great value to healthcare workers.”

Justice K. T. Thomas, Former Judge of the Supreme Court of India, said, “I very much appreciate the suggestions made in this book to protect healthcare professionals from violence while performing their medical duties. It is not something peculiar to India; the world over, healthcare professionals are at peril of being attacked whenever their efforts fail to yield positive results. The provisions in the Indian Penal Code are not sufficient to protect them. I feel that a new statute containing specific provisions for measures to protect them is absolutely necessary.”

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