Hammering the healer: Why Telangana Doctors are Running for Cover

Women junior doctors in Telangana are fed up. The mandatory 36-hour shifts are not driving them up the wall, it is the frequent incidents of theft, harassment, and physical assault that are.

Last week’s rape and murder of a doctor in Kolkata has raised serious concerns about the safety of healthcare workers. Deccan Chronicle’s investigation found the situation in Telangana alarming.

"There are no CCTV cameras and only two special police force personnel in the casualty department. This does not protect us against angry relatives of patients who come in large numbers to target us," said Dr Chandrika, who works at Osmania Medical College, explaining the safety arrangements.

Dr Chandrika is a member of Telangana Junior Doctors Association (TJUDA).

She explained that reports of targeted verbal and physical abuse against junior doctors, both male and female, regularly come from hospitals like Niloufer, MGM at Warangal, and RIMS Adilabad.

“They follow doctors wherever they go and catch them when they are alone in corridors or washrooms. In Gandhi Hospital, at least there is screening of visitors but at Osmania no such protocol exists. They even carry weapons at times, like knives,” she added.

TJUDA president Dr Sandeep Chary confirmed that doctors at RIMS Adilabad constantly face the threat of an attack.

“Patient attendants, who often come in large numbers even in the ICU (intensive care unit), struggle to handle bad news and are ready to attack the doctors. In many cases, they even garner support from local leaders to threaten the doctors,” he said.

The doctors noted that one patient is often followed by ten family members, all of whom enter the ICU.
Female doctors, who cannot refuse night duties, live in constant fear of being attacked or molested. "In the casualty department, there is constant rush. Patients and their attendants often touch female interns inappropriately. It’s difficult to defend oneself against prying gazes and inappropriate touches while performing CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation) and examining patients," said Dr Loukya, a first-year PG student and junior doctor at Gandhi Medical College.

"We work from 8 am to 4 pm three times a week, and twice a week we have to do 36-hour shifts. These timings are not fixed. We stay as long as the work requires, which may be longer if cases are pending or a patient’s condition worsens. In some departments, like ophthalmology, dermatology, and ENT, only one PG doctor is on duty at a time," Dr Loukya explained.

Asked if she felt safe on duty, Dr Loukya responded, "We feel unsafe almost all the time due to poorly maintained duty rooms, lack of drinking water, inadequate washrooms, and no proper security in hospitals and hostels. Random people sometimes walk into our hostel rooms without permission."

She also recounted losing her mobile phone, which was later found at a patient’s home. The patient had stolen it from her while she was filing patient slips.

"When we report these issues to our seniors and the administration, they cite a lack of budget as the reason. There is absolutely no monitoring system to track who enters the hospital or our hostels," Dr Loukya added.

Recalling an incident from her internship days, she described how a patient sought out female junior doctors for five consecutive days, despite being repeatedly told nothing was wrong with him.

"While protocols require a female doctor or nurse to be present when male doctors examine female patients, no such protocols exist for female doctors examining male patients. Casualty departments are overcrowded, and we must prioritise patients who complain of pain," Dr Loukya said.

With a ₹50-lakh bond required to leave the course, they have no choice but to work under these conditions.

"We are the frontliners in hospitals, yet while everyone seeks accountability from us, no one steps forward to support us when we are victims of abuse and molestation," she said.