According to the World Health Organisation report, 8 per cent to 38 per cent of health workers suffer physical violence at some point in their careers. In a recent shocking incident, healthcare professionals at Raiganj Medical College were brutally attacked, the violent assault resulted in injuries to at least 7-10 medical professionals. This attack again highlighted the urgent need for comprehensive protection measures for our healthcare workers.
Recognising the gravity of the situation, 42 Medical bodies and 30 lakh healthcare professionals across the country came in support of the #RedFlag Campaign initiated by MedscapeIndia. Working on the mission of ensuring safety for healthcare professionals and the necessity of comprehensive national laws and a health tribunal to safeguard the interests of both doctors and patients, the beacon holder Dr Sunita Dube, Chairperson, Medscape India, a non-profit organisation actively contributing to streamlining healthcare services launched the #RedFlag Campaign with the slogan, “Stop Violence Against Healthcare Professionals” on Doctor’s Day. This campaign aims to raise awareness, advocate for stronger protections, and demand the implementation of the Prevention Against Doctor’s Assault Bill, 2023.
The #RedFlag Campaign has garnered support from key figures in the political and healthcare community. Pratap Rao Jadhav, State Minister of Health and Family Welfare, Faggan Kulaste, former Minister of State for Rural Development of India, Sujit Kumar, Member of Rajya Sabha and Ashok Bajpai, Member of Rajya Sabha. As well as Arvind Kumar Sharma, dental surgeon, politician, and Member of Parliament. Padma Shri and Padma Bhushan Brigadier Dr Anil Kohli, renowned dentist, Padma Shri Dr Lokesh Muni; and spiritual leader Acharya Lokesh Muni have all expressed their solidarity with the mission.
Violence against doctors is a worldwide phenomenon, as per a recent survey 85 per cent of doctors in China, 75 per cent in India, and 47 per cent in the US have experienced violence in the workplace. The assailants are mostly patients and their relatives. In the US, the patient was the assailant 97 per cent of the time.
Highlighting the urgency and importance of ending violence against healthcare professionals. Dr Dube’s proposal for the ‘Prevention of Assault on Doctors Bill 2023′ was presented at Vigyan Bhavan, New Delhi last year during the sixth Fit India Conclave. The journey has now reached a stage where 30 lakh doctors and 42 medical bodies have stepped forward to endorse the initiative and are standing tall in support of Dr Sunita Dube’s initiative.
The initiative has received strong backing from notable MPs in the past, including Shashi Tharoor, Amit Shah, Former Health Minister of Maharashtra Rajesh Tope, and Dr Ashok Bajpayee, who have all endorsed the proposed “Prevention Against Doctor’s Assault Bill 2023” in past parliament sessions.
Dr Sunita Said, that while India has some state-specific laws like the “Doctors Protection Act,” which makes assaults on doctors a non-bailable offence with penalties including imprisonment and fines but acts that failed to protect doctors there is a pressing need for a uniform, centralized framework.
The #RedFlag Campaign aims to amplify the voices of the medical community and advocate for the swift implementation of the “Prevention of Assault on Doctors Bill 2023.” This powerful mission is set to bring together medical professionals, policymakers, and the general public in a unified call to action against violence in healthcare settings.
Furthermore, she expressed her optimism, saying that we are very hopeful of getting this bill through to form a centralised National Act in the upcoming session of Parliament.