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Safety of Healthcare Professionals

Posted 12 Sep 2024

Updated 15 Sep 2024

5 min read

Why in the news?

Recently, first meeting of National Task Force (NTF) to address Medical Professionals’ Safetyconstituted by the Supreme Court, was held.

More on the news 

  • The NTF was constituted following the murder of postgraduate doctor at RG Kar Medical College Hospital (Kolkata). 
  • NTF mandated to formulate effective recommendations to remedy the issues of safety, working conditions and well-being of medical professionals and other related matters. 
  • Four thematic sub-groups were formed under the NTF that will look into: 
    • strengthening of infrastructure in medical institutions, 
    • strengthening of security systems, 
    • revamping of working conditions, and 
    • the legal framework across the states.

About Healthcare Professionals

  • Healthcare Professional includes a scientist, therapist or other professional who studies, advises, researches, supervises or provides preventive, curative, rehabilitative, therapeutic or promotional health services (As per NCAHP Act 2021).
  • Health and law and order are State subject. 
    • Therefore, it is primary responsibility of State government or Union Territory administration to take note of events and eventualities and prevent violence.
    • Private sector also provides majority of secondary, tertiary, and quaternary care institutions with a major concentration in metros, tier-I, and tier-II cities. 
  • According to the WHO
    • Health workers are at high risk of violence all over the world. 
      • Between 8% and 38% of health workers suffer physical violence while other face verbal aggression. 
    • Most violence is perpetrated by patients and visitors
      • Also, in disaster and conflict situations, health workers may become the targets of collective or political violence.

Other Initiatives taken to ensure Safety of Healthcare Professional

India

  • Centre 
    • Epidemic Diseases (Amendment) Act, 2020:  It provides that acts of violence against healthcare personnel during an Epidemic situation are considered cognisable and non-bailable offences.
    • Prevention of Violence Against Healthcare Professionals and Clinical Establishments Bill, 2022. 
    • Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act 2013: It applies to hospitals and nursing homes (including private health providers).
  • State 
    • Karnataka Medical Registration and Certain Other Law (Amendment) Act, 2024 
    • Kerala Healthcare Service Persons and Healthcare Service Institutions (Prevention of Violence and Damage to Property) Amendment Act, 2023.

Global

  • Framework guidelines for addressing workplace violence in health sector by ILO and WHO
  • Zero-tolerance policy on Violence: Enforced by UK’s National Health Service, supported by a dedicated security team and a comprehensive reporting system.
  • Safety measures like security personnel, panic buttons, and mandatory de-escalation training introduced in Australian hospitals.

Challenges associated with Safety of Healthcare Professional

  • Inadequate security provisions: There is lack of security personnel in medical care units in government run hospital. 
    • One-third of doctors in India feel unsafe during night shifts (survey by Indian Medical Association (IMA). 
  • Poor Infrastructure: 
    • Lack of properly functioning CCTV cameras to monitor entry and exit to hospital and to control access to sensitive areas.
    • Inadequate resting spaces for medical professionals who are posted for night-duties. For instance, One-third of available duty rooms did not have an attached bathroom (IMA survey).
    • Either inadequate or no transportation facilities for safe commute to hostels or places of stay for medical professionals.
    • Lack of screening arms and weapons equipment at the entrance of hospitals.
  • Long Working hours: Interns, residents and senior residents are made to perform 36 hour shifts in conditions where basic needs of sanitation, nutrition, hygiene, safety, etc. are lacking.
  • Easy Access: Unrestricted access to patients and their attenders to most of the places within hospital and doctors resting rooms.
  • Health Hazards: Healthcare Professionals are prone to exposure to hazardous substances, viruses etc. E.g. nearly 1,600 doctors succumbed to COVID in India. 
    • Only 14 have set up state councils and even these councils are not functioning properly.

Way ahead

  • State Responsibility: State governments must establish mechanisms to prevent violence against doctors, including imposing penalties and setting up helplines for immediate assistance. 
  • Mandatory Institutional Reporting: If any violence occurs against a healthcare worker while on duty, the head of the institution is required to file an institutional FIR within six hours of the incident. (MoH&FW)
  • Infrastructural development: It includes CCTV cameras installation at all entrance and exit point of hospitals, use of bio-metric and facial recognition to access sensitive areas, transport provision from 10 pm to 6 am, etc.
  • Employees Safety Committees (composed of doctors, interns, residents and nurses): It should be constituted at every medical establishment to conduct quarterly audits on institutional safety measures.
  • Ensuring due security in medical establishmentsEmployees Safety Committees (composed of doctors, interns, nurses, etc.) at every medical establishment to conduct quarterly audits on institutional safety measures.
    • Effective crowd managed by training of security personnel at hospitals. 

WHO Recommendations

  • Develop and implement national programmes for occupational health for health workers in line with national occupational health and safety policies.
  • Appoint responsible officers with authority for occupational health and safety for health workers at both the national and facility levels.
  • Promote a culture of zero tolerance to violence against health workers.
  • Establish a ‘blame-free’ and just working culture through open communication and including legal and administrative protection from punitive action on reporting adverse safety events.
  • Establish policies to ensure appropriate and fair duration of deployments, rest break and minimizing the administrative burden on health workers.
  • Tags :
  • Healthcare Professionals
  • National Task Force
  • NCAHP Act 2021
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