One of the most surprising post-Covid complications that have come to light in our society is violence against doctors. It was just a few days ago that the doctors were being praised for their service during the pandemic. The news of events of violence against doctors has shocked the whole nation. Doctors are hurt by this attitude of the patients and their family members.
Doctors are saying that it is unexpected that after doing so much service and night duties to save Covid patients in the ICU, they have been beaten like this. The recent incidents have come from Assam and Karnataka, where a young doctor was brutally beaten by a mob after a patient was declared dead by the doctor on duty. Though the incidence has been taken seriously by the Assam government and the culprits are in custody, doctors have started a social movement across all platforms with #stopviolenceagainstdoctors. Several press releases have also been released from different doctors’ associations in support of the doctor in Assam.
Doctors on protest are demanding stringent rules and regulations to frame the culprit in order to avoid any incident of violence against them in the future. In addition, they are demanding proper security to be provided in hospitals during duty hours, especially in remote areas where doctors on duty are posted alone, some of which are female doctors.
Doctors have already gone through lot of pain and sacrifice while performing life-threatening Covid duties in the ICU, and such attitude from the public was totally unexpected at this point of time. I am myself a doctor and working in a Covid ward while wearing a PPE kit is not at all an easy task.
It is time for society to realise that this attitude towards doctors will only harm them, and the whole country will be suffering because doctors will stop taking any risk at their job of saving patients if this continues. India is witnessing this problem more than any country and it is a matter of shame for all. The time has come to look after this problem seriously. We need to introspect within and give respect to our corona warriors and their lifesavers.