“It must be clear that when something happens in healthcare – and errors can happen – that those are being examined through scientific scrutiny, fairness, and objectivity. There is no room for self-justice,” he said. The World Medical Association (WMA) has written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi urging him to find a solution to the high number of attacks on physicians and other health personnel across the country. The move comes in the wake of the recent suicide of an obstetrician in Rajasthan. Dr Archana Sharma had taken the extreme step after she was charged with murder over the death of a patient due to a post-childbirth complication.
In the letter, WMA president Dr Heidi Stensmyren said, “It must be clear that any treatment outcome that is detrimental or fatal must first be properly and professionally examined before conclusions about civil and criminal liability can be made.” With law enforcement agencies getting involved before negligence was determined, Dr Stensmyren described it as “an apparently ambiguous legal situation”.
Agreeing with the request of the Indian Medical Association (IMA) to enact unambiguous and effective lawful means to stop attacks on physicians and other health personnel, Dr Stensmyren said, “Countering non-negligent treatment errors with prosecution in the first place is not only unjust but will also have grave consequences for the treatment of the population as it will lead to risk-avoiding, defensive medicine and as such to reduced treatment options for seriously ill or endangered patients.”
“For many years now, we observe an increasing rate of violence against healthcare facilities and health professionals in India. This is a serious situation. Attacks become even worse during the Covid-19 pandemic, in a time when healthcare needed the most support and protection. There have been violent attacks on personnel – people have been wounded, intimidated, and even killed. This is unacceptable. We stand with the Indian Medical Association in asking the Indian government for better protection for health personnel,” said Dr Otmar Kloiber, WMA secretary-general, in a video message from the ongoing council session of the organisation.
“It must be clear that when something happens in healthcare – and errors can happen – that those are being examined through scientific scrutiny, fairness, and objectivity. There is no room for self-justice,” he said.
Dr Archana Sharma, an obstetrician at a private hospital in Rajasthan’s Dausa, lost a patient reportedly due to postpartum haemorrhage or excessive bleeding after childbirth. The patient’s family protested against the death and allegedly harassed the doctor. An FIR was registered by the state police under section 302 (murder) of the Indian Penal Code, following which the doctor died by suicide last month. In her suicide note she had written, “Mera marna shayad meri begunahi sabit kar de (Perhaps my death will prove my innocence).”
In a similar incident in Maharashtra on Friday, a duty doctor was assaulted by the relatives of a woman who was pregnant with twins but succumbed to postpartum haemorrhage or excessive bleeding after childbirth.
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