IMA prescribes ‘soft skills’ tonic for doctors, ‘medicine’ for assault illness

Aurangabad: It is National Doctors’ Day on Sunday. Indian Medical Association (IMA) has renewed its campaign to make hospitals safe for doctors. Sandeep Mane, himself a doctor, told TOI, “There is a general upsurge in violence, not just against doctors. This trend has long-standing implications. We need to look at the doctor-patient-government relations.”

Mane, who spearheaded a campaign in medical colleges across the state to train young doctors in emergency management and soft skills, said beating someone does not solve the problem. “It only further aggravates the situation. The feeling that assault is acceptable has to be dealt with. Doctors too must be trained in attitude, behaviour and communication. The government has a role too, in ensuring that laws are followed and society does not descend into anarchy,” Mane said.

IMA-Aurangabad president Kuldeepsing Raul said the communication gap between doctor and patient, emotional outbursts over unfortunate news and the mob mentality must be dealt with. “Doctors should be trained in anticipating unruly behaviour from the kin of patients. A doctor must be wary when kin are too involved, ask the same questions repeatedly and fail to take advice from doctors. Not just doctors, paramedical staff too has been at the receiving end of violence,” Raul said.

Mane said the situation has become so bad now that it cannot possibly get worse. However, people are becoming aware and there is an eagerness to change the situation, he said.