Amid outrage over Kolkata medic's rape-murder, Bengaluru doctors recall scary moments

Aggressive patients, attending to cases in the wee hours and inadequate basic amenities are some of the issues female doctors in Bengaluru find challenging to deal with.

A doctor who works at St John’s Medical College and Hospital, Koramangala, shares that she has never felt threatened inside the campus, but has become wary since the rape and murder of a 31-year-old doctor in Kolkata came to light. “When I was a student, I would roam around the campus late at night. I never thought I was putting myself in danger,” she says.

But she recalls instances when some of her colleagues’ phones have gotten stolen from duty rooms. “Any number of people can just walk into a doctor’s duty room,” she explains, adding that it must be worse in government hospitals.

Dr Sripada Vinekar, a gynaecologist, has dealt with aggressive patients and threats from patients’ families. She reveals that the husband of a patient once resorted to abusing and threatening her over the phone after his wife didn’t respond as expected to a standard procedure.  

“Every human body is different and some people respond differently to treatment. In such cases, sometimes the families respond with anger. As a female doctor, it can be scary to deal with alone,” she notes. 

She finds it daunting to attend to emergency calls in the middle of the night, as it involves driving herself to the hospital unaccompanied. “At night, it can be scary to even honk, especially on lonely stretches. I always keep in mind whom I can call in case of an untoward incident,” she says. At the private hospital where she works, there are security guards in place and CCTV cameras at every corner. “Not all hospitals have such facilities,” she points out. 

A pulmonologist, Dr Pooja Bajaj, sometimes feels uncomfortable dealing with male patients or male relatives in the examination room. “We often have to bend over or go close to the patient while examining them. Most men do not respect our boundaries by averting their eyes or minimising contact,” she reveals. She asks male relatives to wait at the other side of the room when she has to examine a patient. Chauvinistic remarks and misogyny are issues female doctors routinely face. One is sized up based on their appearance, she states. 

Basic amenities like a duty room were non-existent for specialisations like hers a decade ago when she was a student at a reputed medical college. “I was forced to rent an apartment close to the college so I could come back to the hospital in case of an emergency,” she recalls. Things have changed. Specialisations like hers have duty rooms, “but they are miserable and have to be shared by multiple doctors.”

Stepping up security

The state medical education department has asked all government-run medical colleges and hospitals to submit a review of how strictly the National Medical Council (NMC) and Nirbhaya guidelines are being followed. “One of our main tasks is carrying out a background check of all the security and housekeeping staff because they have free access to all areas of the hospitals,” says Dr B L Sujatha Rathod, director, Directorate of
Medical Education.

“We are planning to set up a control room and take the help of ex-servicemen to step up security in the hospitals. AI-generated apps and alarm systems that every doctor can carry with them are some other measures we are mulling,” Dr Sujatha shares. 

Indian Medical Association, Karnataka, has put forward a list of demands to Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Dr S Srinivasa, president, says, “Apart from justice for the Kolkata rape victim, we want a central law that will ensure the safety and welfare of doctors. Currently airline staff and advocates are governed by such a law,” he shares.

Some of the other demands are making the hospitals a safe zone with CCTV and guards on duty, easily accessible restrooms and cafeterias, police outposts on the premises of major hospitals, and reduction in duty hours.