Healthcare News Monitor

Punishment for perpetrators of violence against doctors should be component of central law: IMA

Business Standard-PTI

Citing recent cases of violence against doctors, the Indian Medical Association (IMA) Monday asked the government to declare hospitals as "safe zones" and asserted that exemplary punishment for perpetrators of such acts should be a component of the central law. On National Doctors Day, the IMA organized a mass awareness programme throughout its 1,750 branches and emphasized the insistent requirement for the enactment of central legislation to avoid violence against the medical fraternity. The programme was inaugurated by IMAs National President Dr Santanu Sen and also marked the birth and death anniversary of Dr Bidhan Chandra Roy. He was born on July 1, 1882 and died on the same date in 1962, aged 80 years. Citing the recent cases of violence against doctors, the apex medical body demanded that the government should declare hospitals as "safe zones". "Exemplary punishment for perpetrators of violence should be a component of the central law and suitable amendments should be brought into the Indian Penal Code and code of criminal procedure. "Health care violence has its origin in lack of infrastructure and inadequate human resources. Issues of medical profession involving doctor-patient relationship and effective communication also play an important role," said Sen. Sen said a doctor-patient relationship is based on trust, loyalty and respect. "We have seen unprecedented violence against medical professionals in last few years, resulting in mistrust and ultimately more suffering for innocent patients. "Doctors do their best to end the suffering of patients but the end result is not in their hands. But for any unfavourable outcome, people take law into their hands and resort to violence. This ultimately hampers the treatment to other patients as well. It should not be tolerated in any civilized society," he said. The IMAs theme for this year is Safety In Hospitals Is Everyones Concern. Say No To Violence.

National Doctors Day: Doctor-Patient trust the building block of our Healthcare system

Financial Express- Ribhu Mishra

July 1st is marked as the National Doctors Day and is celebrated to put an emphasis on the role of the doctor in our society and their value in our life and life-threatening situations. This day is meant to pay them the much-deserved respect for the selfless service that they offer. However, the recent events suggest that how doctors feel unsafe and threatened and also is something that adds up to their overworking hours as the number of doctors we require across the nations is seemingly very less. From the age of Shushrut, Charak, and Dhanvantari, we have had our faith in doctors and treated them next to god and termed them as ‘ Living God on Earth’ but now we frequently term them as ‘Dr. Death’ and ‘Dacoit Doctor’ adding up to their insecurities. Assaults and threats to doctors have become so prevalent that doctors are left with no options but to unite and fight against such threats. Recently, in West Bengal, a junior doctor was attacked and that lead to a nationwide protest serving as the seed of a national strike by all doctors with a notice of just two days. The issue was taken into consideration and was even supported by the Indian Medical Association (IMA) which declared an all India protest.

SMS Hosp celebrates Doctor’s Day differently

The Times of India

Doctor’s Day was celebrated at Sawai Man Singh (SMS) Hospital in a different way. The patients who have already been surgically treated for brain tumour met patients, admitted to the hospital, who will be operated soon. The event was organised by department of neurosurgery at SMS Hospital to celebrate Doctors’ Day on Monday. “We organised the event so that patients who are admitted to the hospital for brain-related surgeries don’t fear them. On Doctor’s Day, we called the patients who already underwent brain-related surgeries to the hospital and they talked to the patients admitted for surgeries,” said Dr Devendra Purohit, head of the department (neurosurgery) at SMS Hospital. conditions,” said Dr Sunil Kumar Garssa, a city-based cardiologist. While celebrating Doctor’s Day, doctors organised talks on different health issues. They emphasised that antibiotics should only be taken when it is necessary. Antibiotics are useful when they are required but if misused they have side effects. Dr Narendra Kumar Roongta said that the number of bacteria present in intestines is much higher than human population in the world. Majority of these bacteria are our friends. Jaipur Medical Association (JMA) celebrated Doctor’s Day by organising donating blood camp.

Grandparents medicines not secure around grandchildren, finds study

Business Standard- ANI

A recent study suggests that keeping older adults medications in easy-to-reach places and easy-to-open containers can increase the risk of accidental poisoning or intentional misuse in their grandchildren. More than 80 per cent of the grandparents said they keep their medication in the same place as usual when their grandchildren visited their house and 72 per cent keep them in their purse or bag when they go to visit their grandchildren, reported a recent finding from the National Poll on Healthy Aging. And nearly one-third say they store their prescription medications in something other than the container they came in with the vast majority of them using an easy-to-open container. These practices may put children at risk of accidental poisoning if they get into their grandparents medications, said researchers involved in the poll. And for older grandchildren, the easy access may lead to misuse of certain medicines that hold the potential for abuse for instance pain medicines and sedatives. The findings suggested that grandparents need more education about safe medication storage when theyre around children and teens, whether for a holiday visit or a regular childcare session.

Doctors prescribe self-defence for themselves

The New Indian Express- Preeja Prasad

It is not just about saving patients for these doctors and nurses in the city, but also being able to save themselves when under attack. Keeping in mind the current mood among the medical fraternity across the country, medical staff in Bengaluru are signing up for self-defence classes. The attack on two junior doctors in Kolkata’s Nil Ratan Sircar Medical College and Hospital, by an irate mob, generated a nationwide stir, raising awareness among doctors, nurses and other medical staff about the importance of protecting themselves. Now, these medical professionals are training to be Bruce Lees of their hospitals -- to save themselves in extreme situations. These self-defence techniques are being taught by a karate expert and coach of Indian women’s Karate team, Dr M G Prasad, who also runs Zen Fitness Centre. He has been training martial arts techniques to many including the women police force, and says these techniques -- Involving various checks and blocks -- are vital for people to learn to defend themselves. Prasad has trained 55 doctors from two different hospitals who approached him for self-defence classes.

Delhi: Hindu Rao Hospital doctors protest attack on colleague, strike enters Day 2

India Today

Resident doctors of Hindu Rao Hospital in Delhi are on a strike since Sunday after the family of a patient who died during treatment attacked their colleague on Saturday. Only emergency services will be operational, a doctor said. Dr Abhishek Bhatia, who works at Hindu Rao, said, "As long as this happens we wont do any work. Only emergency services and nothing else will be operational." "A doctor was thrashed and injured here last night. The patient was not in a good condition, everything was explained, even then 10-15 people came and thrashed a doctor," he added. On Saturday, a group of people including the husband and son of woman patient, Rajbala, 45, went on a rampage breaking furniture and equipment after they were informed of her death. "Rajbala, suffering from a liver disease, was on a ventilator in a critical state. As soon as her husband and relatives were informed of her death, they damaged the hospital property alleging negligence in her treatment. They later manhandled Dr Jagmohan, who was treating her. To save himself, he locked himself in the nurses room," a police officer said.

American Academy of Pediatrics urges all families to learn to swim

With the advent of summer, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) urges all communities to make water safety a No. 1 priority – and that includes making swim lessons accessible for everyone.

"Everyone should have the opportunity to learn to swim," said AAP President Kyle Yasuda, MD, FAAP. "This is an essential life skill for children, teens and adults. Its an important part of the layers of protection that families and communities can put in place to protect children and teens around water." The AAP published updated recommendations on drowning prevention in March 2019. It recommends layers of protection including:

• All children and adults should learn to swim. Most children will be developmentally ready for formal swim lessons between ages 1 and 4. Talk with your pediatrician about when your child will be ready.

• Not all swimming lessons are created equal. Choose a program that meets your family and childs needs and skills, and one that will ensure they have basic water safety skills.

• Close, constant, attentive supervision around water is important. Assign an adult water watcher, who should not be distracted by a cell phone, socializing, chores, or drinking alcohol. With young children or poor swimmers, the adult should be within an arms length, providing constant touch supervision.

• Empty wading pools immediately after use.

• Pools should be surrounded by a four-sided fence, with a self-closing and self-latching gate. Research shows pool fencing can reduce drowning risk by 50%.

• Adults and older children should learn CPR.

• Everyone, children and adults, should wear US Coast Guard-approved life jackets whenever they are in open water, or on watercraft. Small children and non-swimmers should wear life jackets when they are near water and when swimming. Inflatable "floaties" cant be relied upon to protect kids.
• Parents and teens should understand how using alcohol and drugs increases the risk of drowning while swimming or boating.