Title: Saving doctors: On medical professionals, their safety
Violence, like poetry, is often the spontaneous overflow of powerful feelings; but, unlike poetry, it is always ugly and, in most cases, self-destructive. While violence against members of the medical community is not new, more recently, cases have been rising with an eerie regularity. The recent case from Tamil Nadu where a doctor was stabbed multiple times by a patient’s relative was dastardly and chilling. Balaji Jegannathan, an oncologist at the State-run Kalaignar Centenary Super Specialty Hospital (KCSSH), was stabbed by Vignesh, a young man whose mother was undergoing treatment for Hodgkin lymphoma, in the hospital. Contrary to initial media reports that the attack was perpetrated in a fit of rage, the fact that Vignesh brought a knife to a hospital makes it clear that it was premeditated. Notably, the patient, his mother, and her family had been counselled about the possible side effects of the chemotherapy that she was undergoing. She had also been admitted in a couple of private hospitals, but Vignesh had discharged her against medical advice, bringing her back to the KCSSH. He was furious about the treatment given to his mother, since her lungs had been affected as a result of the chemotherapy, and lashed out at the doctor, holding him responsible for his mother’s suffering. The life of Dr. Balaji, who was on blood thinners for a previous cardiac condition, was saved only because he was in a super specialty medical institution where top surgeons serve, and therefore with access to the best care.
Violence on health-care professionals is as abhorrent as is negligenceon their part. In a question of life and death, inflamed passions are possible, but it cannot be tolerated when frustration and fear of an impending decline in health or death lead to acts of violence against those who implement the treatment. It is important for doctors to display a good bedside manner, explaining to the patients and their family about the possible outcomes of treating a disease. In this case, notably, even this was communicated at all hospitals the patient had been in. While doctors struck work for a day in protest in the State, memories of the recent R.G. Kar rape and murder of a young doctor have compounded unrest among them. While human emotions under stress fall in the zone of the unpredictable, the presence of deterrence in health-care institutions — baggage scanners, CCTV monitoring, security checks, the obvious presence of security personnel — is the only way of ensuring that doctors remain safe.
Meaning of the word:
| Word | Meaning | Synonyms | Antonyms |
| spontaneous | refers to something that happens naturally, without premeditation or planning. It describes actions, events, or behavior that occur on the spur of the moment, often driven by impulse or instinct rather than being carefully thought out or organized | Impulsive Unplanned Instinctive Unrehearse | Planned Deliberate Intentional Preconceived |
| Eerie | Its refers to something that causes a feeling of unease, fear, or discomfort, often because it seems strange, unnatural, or mysterious. | Creepy Spooky Unsettling Mysterious | Comforting Soothing Pleasant Normal |
| perpetrated | It means to commit or carry out a harmful, illegal, or immoral action. It is often used in the context of crimes or wrongdoings, referring to the act of doing something negative or wrong. | Committed Executed Carried out Accomplished | Prevented Stopped Avoided Averted |
| abhorrent | Its refers to something that is regarded with strong feelings of disgust, repulsion, or horror. It describes things that are considered morally offensive, vile, or completely unacceptable. | Detestable Repulsive Horrible Loathsome | Acceptable Pleasing Delightful Admirable |
