Physicians have been verbally abused, beaten up and even murdered in their workplace in recent past. An ongoing research conducted by Platform research wing shows 149 reported incidents of physical assault against physicians. Here is a brief insight of that research findings.
A. Top Reasons for Violence in Primary Care, Clinics, Secondary care:
1 Delay in treatment
2 Death declaration/Died during resuscitation
3 Death as a result of refusal to Higher center referral
4 Power exercise/Political/Administrative/Police/others
5 Death after injection push
6 Refusal of EMO of UHC to Homevisit
Others:
1 Lack of logistics e.g. Oxygen, Ambulance service
2 Issuing medical certificates
3 Asking attendant to exit emergency during patient management
4 For Sending Investigations outside/inside
5 Non availability of Cabin
Top Reasons for Violence in Tertiary Hospitals:
1 Death of terminal illness patient
2 Asking attendant to exit ward during round
3 Female doctor harrasment
4 Delay in treatment
5 Why patient is not attended by Professors
Type of injury of the physicians
Death on Duty:
1 Female Doctor (attempt to rape)
2 Male Doctors (Dr Murad, Dr Gourango)
Multiple fracture: 6 (Dr Shahnewaz, Dr Pabitra kundu and others)
Head injury: 5
Sharp cutting injury: 9
Bullet shot: 3 (health workers not doctor)
Eye injury: 2
Kidnapped: 2 (in Chittagong and Khulna)
Unconscious: 2
Number of Facility Assaulted type:
UHC: 48
Sadar Hospital: 15
Medical College Hospital: 19
Specialized hospital: 3
Clinics: 26
and actual number is 4 to 5 times in case of clinics and Upazila Health Complex as incidents in those facilities are under reported.
B. Time vulnerability of health facility for Violence.
All health facilities including primary with clinics, secondary and tertiary hospitals violent incidents usually take place mostly after office hours that is nights to early mornings and evening.
C. Trend of violence
Violence is increasing from 2013 to 2017 in specific facilities like Tertiary hospitals.
D. Level of physicians target of Violence:
Emergency Medical Officer(EMO): 48
Intern:40
Resident Medical Officer(RMO): 18
Medical Officer(MO/IMO): 29
UHFPO: 9
Assistant Register (CA): 7
Register: 3
Honorary Medical Officer(HMO): 5
Junior Consultant: 4
Assistant Professor/Associate Professor: 6
Professor/Senior Consultant: 3
Dental surgeon: 3
SACMO: 27
Nurse: 26
Others: Ambulance Driver:5
Night guard: 5
Ward boy/cleaner: 53
Police:10
Ansar: 4
Female Doctor assaulted: 22
E. Occupation or identification of attacker:
Patients attendants are responsible for all incidents except
Police: 6
Administrative officer: 3
Judicial officer: 3
Border guard: 1
Political: 11
F. Outcome of Assault:
Strike: 53
Arrested: 55
Case: 31
Jailed: 3 months(1 incident)
Fined: 30,000 taka (1 incident)
Deployment of More Ansar: 1 incident
Physicians save lives but who will save their?
for more information contact [email protected]
Image: Dead body of Dr. Maklukur Rahman Murad who died on duty in 2013
