A doctor and nursing staff at a Maharashtra hospital were allegedly assaulted by a local corporator, exposing a disturbing irony. Reportedly, when confronted with arrest, the corporator complained of ill-health and was admitted to a hospital. He nevertheless expected timely medical care from the very healthcare system whose professionals he had allegedly assaulted. By contrast, had the assaulted doctor been practising in Singapore, the alleged assailant could have been denied non-emergency treatment under its Tripartite Framework for the Prevention of Abuse and Harassment in Healthcare, besides being permanently flagged in electronic medical records as an abusive individual.
Singapore treats violence against healthcare professionals as unacceptable conduct carrying life-long consequences. Violence against healthcare professionals has become alarmingly common across India. Doctors and nurses, already burdened by long hours, emotional strain and resource constraints, now work under the constant fear of intimidation, and physical assault. Recent studies highlight a severe crisis of workplace violence against Indian doctors. A multi-center study by Dr. S.N. Medical College in Jodhpur found a 60.9 per cent annual violence rate; half of these doctors choose not to report incidents . An Uttarakhand study published in ‘Frontiers in Public Health’ found that 75 per cent of physicians experienced hostility, with 68 per cent of attacks coming from patient relatives or mobs, and only 18 per cent of cases ever reached the police.
Audits at Delhi government hospital networks like Safdarjung show a 63.6 per cent violence rate during high-pressure shifts. The consequences extend far beyond individual incidents. Medicine is among the world’s most demanding professions, requiring years of rigorous education, financial investment and enormous personal sacrifice by students and their families. Increasing numbers of young Indian doctors are exploring careers in developed countries, not merely for better remuneration but also for greater professional dignity and personal security. If this trend continues, India risks declining interest among talented students in pursuing medicine, and shortages of specialists.
Protecting doctors is about safeguarding every citizen’s constitutional right to quality healthcare. There is a clear distinction between an adverse medical outcome, professional negligence and outright violence. Medicine is an inherently complex science, and tragic complications may occur despite the highest standards of care. Where there is a genuine suspicion of negligence, the law already provides established remedies through State Medical Councils, consumer courts and the civil and criminal justice system. However, grief or dissatisfaction can never justify intimidation or physical assault. Conflating an unfortunate clinical outcome with a licence for mob justice erodes public trust and drives doctors towards defensive, fear-driven medicine. Violence neither delivers justice to patients nor improves accountability; it only weakens the healthcare system and ultimately harms society.
India’s legal response has remained fragmented. Many States have enacted laws prohibiting violence against healthcare personnel and damage to hospitals. Yet implementation has been inconsistent, conviction rates remain negligible and protection varies widely across States. Recognising the need for uniform protection, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare prepared the draft Healthcare Services Personnel and Clinical Establishments (Prohibition of Violence and Damage to Property) Bill, 2019. However, it was never enacted. Instead, during the Covid-19 pandemic, Parliament amended the Epidemic Diseases Act in 2020, making violence against healthcare personnel during an epidemic a cognizable and non-bailable offence punishable with imprisonment of up to seven years.
Apart from Singapore, the U.K. strengthened legal deterrence through the Assaults on Emergency Workers (Offences) Act, 2018, recognising attacks on healthcare workers as aggravated offences. China has adopted an even more proactive approach by requiring hospitals to establish “three-dimensional defence systems” integrating trained security personnel, secure infrastructure and advanced surveillance technologies to prevent violence before it reaches healthcare workers. Australia complements legal enforcement with nationwide “It’s Never OK” p ublic awareness campaigns highlighting the legal consequences of abusing healthcare workers. At the global level, the joint Framework Guidelines for Addressing Workplace Violence in the Health Sector, developed by the World Health Organization and the International Labour Organization, introduce employer accountability. Hospital administrations are expected to conduct regular security audits, and respond promptly to every incident of violence. India needs a comprehensive national law that protects every healthcare worker.
The continuing introduction of Private Members’ Bills, including the Central Protection of Healthcare Workers and Medical Establishments from Violence Bill, 2025 in the Rajya Sabha and the Healthcare Professionals and Clinical Establishments (Prevention of Violence) Bill, 2025 in the Lok Sabha, demonstrates that the need for comprehensive national legislation remains compelling. Singapore has shown that strong and lasting consequences can deter violence against healthcare professionals. India should consider adopting a similar approach, under which those who assault healthcare workers face criminal prosecution, restrictions on access to non-emergency medical treatment, and permanent identification as abusive patients, subject to due legal process. Every potential aggressor should know that attacking those who save lives to day could affect access to non-emergency healthcare tomorrow. The safety of doctors cannot be viewed as an occupational concern alone; it is a matter of national health security.
(The writer is a transparency and equality advocate and co-founder 51ABI Foundation)