A Study on Violence against Doctors in Selected Cities of Gujarat

Abstract

Introduction: Various media are reporting that violence against doctors in country is increasing. Due to this, doctors are stressed out in their profession. The present study was conducted with objectives to find out the prevalence of verbal and physical violence against doctors and to identify the perceived aggravating factors associated with workplace violence. Materials and Methods: It was a cross‑sectional study. A total of 117 doctors participated in the study from different cities of Gujarat. The study was conducted in the year 2017. Results: The mean age of the study participants was 44.11 ± 11.77 years. Ninety‑eight (83.8%) participants were male and 19 (16.2%) were female. One hundred and ten (94.02%) study participants believed that violence against health‑care staff is a serious issue in the current scenario. More than two‑third (89.74%) of the participants perceived increases in violence in the past few decades. Sixty‑five (55.56%) study participants had experienced verbal violence. Five (4.27%) study participants had experienced physical violence. One hundred and eleven (94.87%) study participants believed that hospital securities are given less importance. Almost all the (93.16%) study participants assumed that violence occurs due to absence of law. Conclusion: The study concludes that violence on doctors’ has increased in the last few years in India. Verbal violence was experienced by more than 50% of the participants. The common determinants of violence against doctor were poor hospital security, absence of proper law, unrealistic expectation from patients and relatives, overburdened hospital, low literacy, and poor communication skills among doctors.