Poor communication between patients and doctors is a major cause of violence against health providers, medical experts said at a panel discussion in the city on Saturday.
Experts from various fields discussed a wide range of issues regarding healthcare at ‘Dialogue 2019’, a two-day conference organised by the Mumbai Obstetric and Gynaecological Society.
Dr. Kurush Paghdiwala, obstetrician and gynaecologist from Masina Hospital, said, “Doctors lack soft skills. Communicating well with the patient and his relatives, being compassionate and empathising with the patient is as important as the treatment.”
Keeping them in the loop
The panel of doctors from across the country concurred that most of the time, it is miscommunication between patients and doctors that leads to incidents of violence in the hospitals. “Violence ranges from verbal abuse, threats, intimidation, sexual harassment to physical attacks and even homicide,” Dr. Bipin Pandit, obstetrician and gynaecologist, Mukund Hospital, Mumbai, said.
Dr. Geetha Balsarkar, former chairperson of the young talent promotion committee of the Federation of Obstetric and Gynaecological Societies of India (FOGSI), stressed on the need to keep patients and relatives informed about treatments and expenses they are likely to incur. “They should be counselled well before the treatment is initiated to eliminate any scope for miscommunication,” Dr. Balsarkar said.
Dr. Paghdiwala said few hospitals have a dedicated room to break the news of the death of a patient to his/her relatives. Many a times, this is communicated so casually that the relatives tend to feel that the patient was not treated well. In such cases, the tendency for the relatives to abuse the doctors is high, he said.
Impatience in patients
Dr. Madhuri Patel, deputy secretary general, FOGSI, said there is also growing impatience among patients. “Patients think that with scientific advancement there has to be a quick fix for everything, without realising that a treatment that works for one person may not work for the other,” she said.
The experts also said people are often frustrated as they think healthcare is expensive and that they can get away with violent actions, which encourages them.
“Violence against doctors is a global phenomenon. It happens everywhere, but due to high media coverage of such incidences in India, the perception is that it happens only here,” Dr. Fessy Louis, consultant/clinical assistant professor, Amrita Fertility Clinic, Kochi, said.
Possible solutions
Suggesting measures to curb such incidents, Dr. Bhaskar Pal, obstetrician and gynaecologist, Apollo Gleneagles Hospital, Kolkata, said, “Installing CCTV cameras, taking action against people resorting to violence, training staff to take necessary actions when such incidents occur, proper documentation of the treatment given to the patient, and most importantly, good communication between the doctor and the patient’s relatives is the key to tackle the issue of increasing violence against medical practitioners.”
