1 out of 10 doctors feels ‘totally unsafe’ during night shifts: Indian Medical Association
New Delhi, August 30
An Indian Medical Association (IMA) study has revealed doctors, particularly women, felt “unsafe” during their night shifts, so much so that some even felt the need to start carrying weapons for self-defence.
The study conducted by Kerala branch of the IMA in the backdrop of the rape and murder of a doctor in Kolkata’s RG Kar Medical College says one out of 10 doctors felt “totally unsafe” during night shifts. The study includes an analysis of thousands of suggestions from 3,885 doctors across 22 states. The survey findings, compiled by Dr Rajeev Jayadevan, chairman, Research Cell, Kerala State IMA, and his team, have been accepted for publication in IMA’s Kerala Medical Journal October 2024 issue.
The study highlights the inadequate number of duty rooms, poor lighting on corridors and weak security. Several resident doctors said they often get attacked by attendants of patients in the hospital. “In more than half the instances, the duty room is located far from the ward/casualty area,” the findings stated.
“The feeling of being unsafe is worse among women and young doctors. Doctors aged between 20 and 30 years had the lowest sense of safety. Where available, duty rooms were often reported to be inadequate in size, safety, comfort, privacy, location and upkeep — all of which are factors that necessitate doctors to venture out to less secure places at night. Nearly one-thirds of the available duty rooms did not have an attached bathroom, which means that the doctors needed to step outside during late hours to access these facilities,” the study adds.
A doctor in the study admitted that she always carried a foldable knife and pepper spray in her handbag because the duty room was located at the far end of a dark and deserted corridor. “Doctors who worked in casualty reported verbal and physical threats from people who were drunk or under the influence of drugs. Another doctor reported that she repeatedly experienced bad touch or inappropriate contact in a crowded emergency room. The situation is worse in some smaller hospitals where there is limited staff and no security,” it adds.
