Doctors in the country to get training in self-defence
Violence against doctors is not new in our country. The list of the doctors who faced such atrocities is endless. Now, to save themselves from such attacks, the doctors across the country will be given a self-defence training. The initiative has been taken by the Federation of Resident Doctors Association (FORDA), a body which works for the welfare of doctors in India.
“It was May 29, 2017, and I was posted at casualty of Sanjay Gandhi Hospital. A child in critical condition, gasping for breath was brought to the emergency. We tried to manage him, but the patient’s condition was so serious that he could not survive. As soon as we informed his family members about the demise of the patient, about 20-25 people came in, held us hostage, and attacked us. My hand got fractured. That day itself I decided to return to my hometown,” says Dr Birendra Kumar, a paediatrician who used to work at Delhi government’s Sanjay Gandhi Hospital. Following a violent attack by the relatives of a patient, he left the place. Now he runs his own private clinic in Bihar.
Like Dr Birendra Kumar, there are many doctors who faced such violence. According to FORDA, doctors who face such violence often go into depression, develop insomnia, post-traumatic stress, fear and anxiety.
The project will kickstart from Delhi’s RML hospital. “Team FORDA is starting Sashakt Chikitsak initiative to train doctors how to rescue themselves when there is a mob attack. But this does not mean that doctors will also attack patients’ relatives. FORDA has collaborated with a private agency to train healthcare professionals. As of now, we are working on the first module. Workshops will be conducted nationwide. It will comprise of two sessions: physical training (70%) and classroom learning (30%). We have written to the Resident Doctors’ Association of all the hospitals to take part. Later we would include paramedical staff, nurses, technicians into the training programme,” Dr Sumedh Sandanshiv, President, FORDA told the media.
The initiative by FORDA aims at preparing healthcare professionals to fight the menace of violence against doctors in the country.
Source: www.indiatoday.in