Sharma, 42, committed suicide by hanging in Dausa on Tuesday, a day after being booked for murder under IPC Section 302. She has left a suicide note in which she has written that the patient had died during the normal procedure. She also requested not to harass innocent doctors, Dausa told TOI, Anil Beniwal, police superintendent.
The deceased patient, a 22-year-old woman, was taken to a private hospital, Anand Hospital in Dausa, in labor pains. However, after she was taken to the delivery room, her condition deteriorated due to excessive bleeding and she died. Following this, the patient’s relatives alleged negligence and demanded a police case against Dr. Sharma.
Sharma’s death has sparked a nationwide debate about the safety of doctors in their workplaces. A doctor with an illustrious career, Dr. Archana Sharma, was working as an Associate Professor and Head of Unit at the Government Medical College, Gandhinagar, Gujarat. She had a “terrific clinical practice with an impeccable record”, says the Federation of Resident Doctors Association of India (FORDA) in condemning the tragic incident of the doctor’s suicide.
Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot criticized the harassment against the doctor and ensured a thorough investigation into the incident.
Harassment against doctors has always been in the headlines. But such reports disappear in due time or until another similar incident occurs.
Physician Harassment: What the Data Says
According to a survey conducted by the Indian Medical Association, more than 75% of doctors face violence in the workplace.
A 2007 study found that about a third of doctors face verbal abuse in the workplace.
Violence against doctors ranges from physical assault to verbal abuse and even threats.
The IMA report says that about 50% of the violence is reported from the ICU or after a patient’s surgery and, for the most part, the relatives of the patients are to blame for the reported violence.
Among these, 46 percent of doctors are stressed by fear of violence. About 14% of doctors fear criminal prosecution most days of the week.
Various factors are the reason behind unhealthy professional life of doctors. 56 percent of doctors do not get a restful sleep of 7 hours a day and more than 80% of them are stressed in their profession. Although the rebellious manners of the patients, since more than 68% of the violence is exerted by the companions of the patients, is responsible for the stress of the doctors, the lack of staff can also be another reason. According to government data and news reports, there is only one doctor for every 1,457 people in India. Staff shortages and long working hours are also responsible for increased stress among doctors.
While it is necessary to advise patients and those who accompany them, it is also necessary to have strict laws that regulate the harassment of doctors.
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