New Delhi: A study conducted by the Indian Medical Association (IMA) has revealed concerning safety issues faced by doctors, particularly women, during night shifts, PTI reported.
According to the survey, one-third of the respondents, predominantly women, expressed feeling “unsafe” or “very unsafe,” prompting some to consider carrying weapons for self-protection.
The survey, which received 3,885 responses, making it the largest of its kind in India, highlighted significant gaps in safety measures. It found that 45 percent of doctors did not have access to a duty room during night shifts. This shortage was compounded by inadequate facilities such as overcrowded duty rooms with insufficient privacy and missing locks, forcing many doctors to seek alternative rest areas.
Key findings indicated that young doctors aged 20-30, mainly interns and postgraduates, reported the lowest sense of security. Issues like the absence of attached bathrooms in duty rooms (found in one-third of cases), distant locations from patient care areas, and poor lighting further exacerbated safety concerns.
Recommendations to improve safety included increasing trained security personnel, installing CCTV cameras, ensuring better lighting, enforcing the Central Protection Act, and providing secure duty rooms with basic amenities. Doctors emphasized the need for standardized security measures across healthcare settings to mitigate risks and improve patient care.
The study underscored the urgent need for policy reforms to safeguard medical professionals, prompting responses from the Supreme Court of India and initiatives by the Government to address these concerns in light of recent incidents, including the alleged rape and murder of a trainee doctor in Kolkata.
