Let us be clear at the outset itself. By no means are ALL medical personnel criminals and prone to violence. Likewise, by no means are ALL patients or their caregivers violent. Exceptions are there on both sides, and could be highly circumstantial. Doctors operate in a stressful environment. Patients are anyways highly stressed and expecting cure and relief. The chances to erupt in unintentional frustration – for example when an accident victim heavily bleeding is not being timely treated , or when a doctor ( maybe an already tired resident doctor) is being pulled in too many directions by patients demanding attention – are thus high. Though doctors perhaps are trained to handle such situations – or should be.
In fact patients and their caregivers are already in a weak, vulnerable state. And thus can be easily exploited by any with a criminal bent of mind. Hence logically seen, violence by the patients should be very little, as patients are at mercy of Hospitals and Doctors – their saviors supposedly. Unless there are exceptional circumstances, there is no reason for them to turn on to their saviors only !
However, there has been a lot of talk lately of violence and harassments doctors face at the hands of patients and their relatives, particularly after the horrendous RG Kar crime ( where NO patient was involved !) . The medical fraternity, with their huge voices, have been amplifying such and asking for implementation of more stringent laws to ” protect” themselves. Whether the real intent is to avoid liability due to their careless or grossly negligent acts is a very real possibility. Though obviously they do not mention this at all.
On the other hand, very little is reported on violence being done on the patients , and what punishments, if any, have been rendered to the guilty.
This post presents a short compilation of such incidents as reported in Media/ Social Media. The focus is on crimes against patients in medical settings. Although there are MANY crimes committed by members of the medical fraternity itself towards one another !!
The intent here is to put forward a balanced picture. NO crime is the “privilege” of a few, and particularly pointing out patients or their relatives as more prone to criminality and hence attempting to ask for more stringent laws specifically against them is ignoring the facts on the ground, and will only lead to more frustrations. The solution instead lies in better medical infrastructure ( which no doubt can/should include more security – for all ! ) and increased sensitivity of doctors and other medical staff . And more controls over them as well, as instances here amply demonstrate.
Some recent ones…
An image of the above article:
https://twitter.com/tusharcrai/status/1830803092721275301
बचाती रही मां,पीटते रहें डॉक्टर
कुन्नी देवी बांदा से उप्र के SRN अस्पताल प्रयागराज में बहू के इलाज के लिए पहुंची। डॉक्टरों से किसी बात पर हुईं बहस के बाद अन्य जूनियर डॉक्टरों ने मिलकर बेटे रोहित से मारपीट किया। बुजुर्ग मां हाथ जोड़कर रो-रोकर बेटे को बचाने की कोशिशें और न मारने की मिन्नतें करती रही।मौके पर अस्पताल पुलिस चौकी के कांस्टेबल भी पहुंचे लेकिन जूनियर डॉक्टराें बंद कमरे में तीमारदार को पीटते रहें। लोगों ने घटना का वीडियो बनाने की कोशिश किया तो मोबाइल पर छीना झपटी। जिन डॉक्टरों को भगवान समझ कर कुन्नी देवी सरकारी अस्पताल पहुंची दुबारा सरकारी अस्पताल में इलाज करवाने की हिम्मत जुटा पाएंगी..?
Nurse Fends Off Gang-Rape Attempt, Cuts Doctor’s Private Parts With Blade
The doctor, who is the administrator of the private hospital in Bihar’s Samastipur district, and two of his associates have been arrested.
India News Reported by Prabhakar Kumar, Edited by Rohit Paul Updated: September 12, 2024 10:56 pm IST
https://indianexpress.com/article/cities/lucknow/junior-doctor-agra-paediatric-ward-arrested-raping-minor-girl-9563616
Junior doctor at Agra medical college’s paediatric ward arrested on charges of raping minor girl
The girl’s father alleged that initially the medical college tried to hush up the matter; the medical college refuted the allegations.
Written by Amit Sharma, Meerut | Updated: September 12, 2024 20:08 IST
https://www.newindianexpress.com/states/odisha/2024/Aug/13/cardiology-doctor-rapes-two-patients-in-cuttacks-premier-hospital
Aug 2024:35-year-old doctor Thakur Dilbag Singh, originally from Bhopal, a DM cardiology resident doctor at SCB MCH, allegedly raped two patients…
https://medicaldialogues.in/news/health/doctors/up-doctor-booked-for-allegedly-sexually-harassing-25-year-old-patient-131636
Jul 2024: Prayagraj: Pratapgarh police on Tuesday arrested a man identified as Dr Ashish Kumar (42), a resident of Sonpura for allegedly raping a woman. raped after administering anesthetic injection
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/gurgaon/male-nurse-arrested-for-sexually-assaulting-kazakh-woman/articleshow/111792963.cms
July 2024 : A nursing attendant at Artemis Hospital in Gurgaon has been arrested for allegedly sexually assaulting a 50-year-old foreign national who had recently undergone surgery at the hospital.
https://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/kozhikode/sexual-assault-on-patient-physiotherapist-from-kozhikode-govt-general-hospital-suspended/article68422031.ece
Jul 2024-A physiotherapist from the Kozhikode Government General Hospital, who was booked on charge of sexually assaulting a woman patient, was placed under suspension on (July 19) Friday.
https://www.newindianexpress.com/states/kerala/2024/Apr/07/kerala-finally-govt-gives-in-nursing-officer-anitha-to-be-posted-in-kozhikode-mch
Apr 2024: MCH Sexual Assault Case- A female patient who underwent thyroid surgery was sexually assaulted in the surgical ICU of Kozhikode Medical College Hospital on March 18 by grade 1 attender M Saseendran, a resident of Vadakara.
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/jaipur/male-nurse-sedates-patient-in-icu-of-pvt-rajasthan-hospital-rapes-her-held/articleshow/108055174.cms
Feb 2024 : A 24-year-old married woman, undergoing treatment for a lung infection in the ICU of a private hospital in Rajasthan’s Alwar, was allegedly raped by a nursing staff
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/ahmedabad/sweeper-gets-7-years-in-jail-for-raping-19-year-old-dengue-patient-in-icu/articleshow/106498326.cms
Jan. 2024 : Dengue Patient raped thrice in ICU . Sweeper gets 7 years in Jail. Pak Origin doctor, unauthorizedly employed by hospital, on the run.
And some earlier ones, though not too old…
https://english.mathrubhumi.com/news/kerala/hospital-staff-arrested-for-sexually-assaulting-woman-who-sought-treatment-following-suicide-attempt-1.8285706
Feb 2023-An electrician employed at a taluk hospital was arrested for sexually abusing a woman admitted to Thrissur medical college following a failed suicide bid
https://caravanmagazine.in/crime/patna-three-hospital-staff-accused-sexually-assaulting-critical-covid-patient
Jun 2021 : On 19 May, a 22-year-old resident of Patna filed a police complaint accusing three staff members of the city’s Paras HMRI Hospital of sexually assaulting her 45-year-old mother, a COVID-19 patient
https://www.newindianexpress.com/states/kerala/2021/May/15/kerala-police-arrests-ambulance-attendantfor-sexually-harassing-covid-19-patient-2302959.html
May 2021: An ambulance attendant was arrested for sexually harassing a COVID-19 patient. This incident took place when the 38-year-old female patient was being taken to a nearby scanning center in Kerala. The incident came to light when this pneumonia-ridden patient informed the doctors of the harassment, and they further reported it to the Police.
https://caravanmagazine.in/crime/patna-three-hospital-staff-accused-sexually-assaulting-critical-covid-patient
May 2021– 45-yr old covid patient sexually assaulted by three hospital staff of Paras hospital in Patna
https://www.hindustantimes.com/cities/others/covid-patient-s-wife-says-molested-at-hospital-police-probe-101620746966850.html
May 2021– covid patient wife says she was sexually harassed
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/bhopal/madhya-pradesh-covid-patient-fights-off-rape-bid-twice-in-gwalior-hospital/articleshow/82136293.cms
Apr 2021– ward boy tried to rape 50 year old covid patient
https://www.news18.com/news/india/rajasthan-woman-admitted-in-hospital-icu-sexually-assaulted-male-nursing-staff-held-3544196.html
Mar 2021: A woman admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU) of a private hospital in Jaipur has been allegedly sexually assaulted by a male nursing staff.
https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/hospital-staff-held-for-sexual-assault-of-patient-police-101679338938658.html
Mar 2021 :The Kerala police on Monday arrested an employee of the medical college hospital in Kozhikode for alleged sexually assault of a woman patient who had undergone surgery, officials said.
https://www.newsclick.in/Isolation-Wards-COVID-19-Pandemic-Sexual-Abuse-Safety-in-Hospitals
June 2020 : A 25-year-old female patient reportedly faced sexual harassment from her attending doctor over two consecutive days during her hospitalization. The distressing incident occurred in an isolation ward where she was kept during the COVID-19 pandemic. Tragically, just two days after her discharge, she succumbed to excessive bleeding.
https://www.newsbytesapp.com/news/india/mumbai-58-year-old-doctor-rapes-patient-circulates-video/story
Oct 2019-Mumbai– In a horrifying incident, a 58-year-old doctor allegedly raped and blackmailed a patient, a 27-year-old woman, officials at the Meghwadi police station said on Monday.The victim came into contact with the accused, Dr. Vanshraj Dwivedi, in 2015.During treatment, the doctor sexually assaulted her while she was unconscious and filmed the incident.
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/delhi/safdarjung-doctor-arrested-for-rape-and-blackmail/articleshow/71622202.cms
Oct 2019-A doctor with the Safdurjung Hospital has been arrested after he allegedly raped a 27-year-old woman repeatedly after blackmailing her with photographs of her that he had clicked.
https://www.ibtimes.co.in/woman-icu-gang-raped-by-hospital-staff-4-including-nurse-arrested-794654
Mar 2019: A 29-year-old woman, who was admitted to the ICU of a hospital in Uttar Pradesh’s Meerut district, was allegedly gang-raped by the staff when she was asleep on the night of March 23.
https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/male-nurse-arrested-for-sexually-assaulting-3-women-cancer-patients-in-guwahati-hospital/story-dcN7ebVr9BB6SHnOp29AvK.html
Jan 2019 : A 26-year-old male nurse has been arrested for allegedly sexually assaulting three women patients at a premier cancer institute in Assam’s Guwahati
https://www.thequint.com/news/india/16-year-old-sexually-assaulted-by-two-nurses-shiva-hospital-icu
Dec 2017 : A 16-year-old patient was assaulted by two male nurses working at the Shiva Hospital, Gurugram while she was in the ICU.
https://thebetterindia.com/160262/sexual-assault-india-doctor-patient-news
Sept 2018-A 23-year-old woman, who was admitted with high fever into a hospital of good repute in Chennai, has alleged that the male duty doctor, under the guise of conducting a physical examination, molested her. This when she was admitted into the High Dependency Unit (HDU) since her fever was quite high.
https://www.mid-day.com/mumbai/mumbai-news/article/Thane-News-Bhiwandi-sexual-assault-case–doctors-nurse-film-woman-patient-on-OT-table-18255181
May-2017: A 45-year-old doctor from Bhiwandi on Monday registered a sexual assault case against two doctors and a nurse for filming a video of his wife in the operation theatre and circulating it, while the nurse passed lewd comments on seeing the woman.
https://scroll.in/pulse/823769/years-after-the-attack-on-aruna-shanbaug-there-has-been-no-let-up-in-sexual-violence-in-hospitals
Dec 2016–On December 7, newspapers reported that a 21-year-old woman working with the Delhi Municipal Corporation hospital as an intern in the X-ray department was allegedly raped by a technician and a doctor inside the hospital’s X-ray room.
https://www.daijiworld.com/news/newsDisplay?newsID=413377
September 2016 : A doctor and a sweeper raped a 19-year-old girl admitted in the intensive care unit of a private hospital in Gujarat.
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/gurgaon/woman-raped-in-hospital-by-ward-boy-guard/articleshow/52646263.cms
June 2016: A 22-year-old woman undergoing treatment for depression at a public hospital in Haryana was allegedly raped by a ward boy.
https://indianexpress.com/article/india/india-news-india/jaipur-minor-abducted-from-govt-hospital-raped-2862996/
June 19, 2016: A three-year old girl was abducted from a government hospital in Jaipur, Rajasthan and raped. The girl was found bleeding near a hospital gate some time later.
https://www.dnaindia.com/india/report-woman-sexually-assaulted-in-haryana-private-hospital-2177680/amp
February 14, 2016: A 22-year-old woman was sexually assaulted while she was being treated a private hospital in Jhajjar in Haryana. (not by hospital staff but some outsider)
https://www.deccanherald.com/india/karnataka/bengaluru/nurse-held-for-sexually-assaulting-foreign-patient-in-mysuru-494833.html
Nov 2015 : A male nurse attached to Columbia Asia hospital in the Mysuru has been arrested on the charge of sexually harassing a foreign patient under the guise of examination
https://www.medindia.net/news/male-nurse-at-fortis-hospital-sexually-assaults-dengue-patient-155117-1.htm
Nov 2015: Fortis hospital in Bengaluru, following a complaint that a male attendant had molested a 54-year-old dengue patient….
Above makes clear what the ground reality is. In such situation, no laws shall be effective unless they are balanced and look after security of all. In fact, existing laws if implemented well are sufficient to handle such cases. What is required is more sensitivity and more health resources. Both of which are sadly lacking presently.
