While the Maharashtra Association of Resident Doctors (MARD) has been protesting and raising its voice against attacks on healthcare professionals, the World Health Organization (WHO) has also decided to take up and highlight this cause. With today being ‘World Humanitarian Day’ (Aug 19 WHO is drawing attention towards the continued attacks on health workers and facilities across the world.

There have been Looking at the statistics of the attacks, it is quite alarming that already in 2015, the number of healthcare workers dead is alarmingly close to 2014. Making it significantly worse than 2014:

Attacks on doctors and healthcare professionals

The group most vulnerable to attacks has noticeably been resident doctors in state and civic-run hospitals. This is mainly because they are the first to attend to patients in an emergency. Most recently, MARD had even gone on a strike, demanding proper security at workplace. The state government assured them of the same, but the attacks on doctors have not let up. The Indian Medical Association (IMA) recently revealed that over 75 per cent doctors faced violence at work. This means 7 out of 10 doctors have faced violence at their work place and this is a very large number for a profession that ironically deals with healing and care.

Dr Anil Pachnekar, Dean (Academics) at the National headquarters of IMA had this to say regarding the issue, “The problem is that the attacks on doctors have become common. In our state, we have a good law – the Maharashtra Medicare Service Persons and Medicare Service Institutions (Prevention of Violence and Damage or Loss to Property) Act, 2009. But how many people know about it? This Act needs to be implemented. Only then such instances won’t happen,” MARD president Dr Sagar Mundada also said, “It is the government’s job to provide security to doctors at workplace. Now WHO has also taken up the cause and this means it’s a global problem. Our demand for security at hospitals is valid.”

WHO has launched an online platform to recognise the efforts of doctors, nurses and other staffers, and remind the member states and parties to uphold their commitment towards protecting these staffers. The campaign, named ‘ThanksHealthHero’ aims to gather tributes to honour health professionals. Between the World Humanitarian Day (today) and the World Humanitarian Summit in May 2016, people around the world are invited to send messages of gratitude via social media. Such initiatives are a welcome appreciation for doctors and healthcare professionals that the community and organizations they represent are indebted to them and respects their continued service and hard work! The key takeaway today for doctors and healthcare workers is that, despite the violence and attacks the work goes on.

DAILY ROUNDS salutes all healthcare professionals in India and the world over on this special day. Thank you for your healing touch and continued effort!

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