Context: A joint nationwide survey conducted by doctors from Safdarjung Hospital and AIIMS revealed that more than half of the healthcare workforce in India feels unsafe at their workplace, with nearly three-fourths having faced threats while on duty.
Data point from survey:
- Workplace Safety Concerns:
- 57% of healthcare professionals feel unsafe at work, with over 70% facing threats.
- Facilities and Infrastructure:
- Nearly 50% of healthcare professionals lack proper duty rooms with basic amenities.
- 90% of institutions lack weapon screening and 75% have insecure hospital boundaries, while 62% find emergency alarm systems inadequate.
- Security Measures in State vs. Private Institutions:
- 70% of healthcare workers in state-run institutions are dissatisfied with emergency alarms and security in high-risk areas.
- 63% of respondents from state government colleges are unhappy with the number of security personnel, showing 4 times higher dissatisfaction compared to private institutions.
Source of data: Joint survey by Safdarjung Hospital and AIIMS, published in Epidemiology International.
Usage in UPSC syllabus:
- General Studies Paper II (Governance, Constitution, Polity):
- Topics like workplace safety regulations, government healthcare policies, and infrastructure in public institutions.
- General Studies Paper III (Security Issues):
- Discuss security infrastructure in critical sectors like healthcare and the effectiveness of security personnel in public institutions.
- General Studies Paper IV (Ethics in Governance):
- Ethical issues related to the safety and well-being of healthcare professionals, their working conditions, and accountability in public institutions.
