IMA expresses concern over Rising Attacks on Doctors
Silchar: Dr Dilip Bhanushali, National President of the Indian Medical Association (IMA), expressed deep concerns over the growing violence against doctors in workplaces across the country.
Speaking at the 37th biannual state conference of the IMA’s Assam unit, organized by its Silchar chapter on Saturday evening, he emphasized the urgent need for the medical fraternity to to safeguard doctors' rights and ensure their safety.
Talking to Medical Dialogues, Dr. Dilip shared his experience during the conference. Commenting on the issue of violence, he stated, “Health care violence is a complex phenomenon. Indian Medical Association recognises the fact that a Central Law is only the beginning of the effort to stymie the violence. All persons have the right to work in a safe environment without the threat of violence. Any form of violence against the medical profession and facilities will be counterproductive. It takes away the confidence and courage of the doctors to take bold decisions in critical situations. Ultimately, this will adversely impact patient care and safety. Violence on doctors shatters the morale and confidence of the entire profession and leads to large-scale practice of defensive medicine. The ultimate loss is to the patients.”
The doctor also pointed out that limitations of infrastructure and human resources force doctors to spend less time with the patients and hence, the chances of doctor-patient conflicts are very high. Issues of the medical profession involving the Doctor-Patient relationship, effective communication regarding the nature of illness and professional counselling play a part as well in the matter. IMA expects the Government of India to provide for each of these components. Stating that hospitals should be considered as safe zones, he further added that hospitals should have a 3-layer security, CCTVs, and restriction of entry of visitors.
The Annual/Biannual State Council Meeting of the Assam State Branch of the IMA was held in Silchar on March 7, 2025, paving the way for Medimeet 2025, the 37th Assam State Medical Conference. The event brought together several key figures from the medical community, including IMA Secretary Dr. Sharbari Dutta, State General Secretary Dr. Atul Kalita, and newly elected State President Dr. Pranab Kumar Sarma.
