The piece in the Lancet said there is need for standardized protocols and comprehensive training for hospital staff to effectively recognize and respond to violence against women
After the tragic rape and murder of a trainee doctor at R G Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata, an article in the Lancet has called for urgent reforms to ensure the safety of healthcare professionals and patients. The journal has asked for mandatory CCTV surveillance in all areas of government hospitals, including operating theatres and on-call rooms.
The piece in the Lancet, one of the world’s leading medical journals, said there is need for standardized protocols and comprehensive training for hospital staff to effectively recognize and respond to violence against women. It also recommended the establishment of hospital-based crisis centres for women across India and called for stricter laws and enforcement to prosecute perpetrators of violence against healthcare workers.
The authors, Gururaj Arakeri, Vishal Rao, Shankargouda Patil, wrote in the Lancet that “the tragic rape and murder of a trainee doctor at the R G Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata, has once again highlighted the urgent need to address the safety of female health-care workers in India, particularly in government hospitals.”
“This incident is not isolated, but part of a broader pattern of violence against women in health-care settings that demands immediate attention and action,” they said.
They said violence against women, including health-care professionals, remains alarmingly prevalent in India. A third of women have faced some form of physical violence according to national health surveys. "For female doctors and paramedics, the risks are amplified in their workplace—hospitals that should be safe spaces for healing. Government hospitals are especially vulnerable due to inadequate security measures, such as the absence of closed-circuit television (CCTV) surveillance in many areas," they said.
They described operating theatres and other isolated areas “particular concern” for female staff. “The absence of proper surveillance and reporting mechanisms allows inappropriate behaviour and harassment to go unchecked. Basic safety measures such as comprehensive rape kits and sensitisation training for staff are still not universally implemented across hospitals in India," they said.
This situation persists despite India's landmark 2005 Domestic Violence Act and other legislative efforts, they said. Clearly, they argued, stronger laws and enforcement are needed, along with systemic changes in hospital policies and infrastructure. “Some positive models exist, such as the Dilaasa Crisis Centre in Mumbai, India, which has trained hundreds of hospital staff to recognise signs of violence against women and offer appropriate services. However, such efforts remain limited in scale,” they added.
“The COVID-19 pandemic has further exacerbated risks for female health-care workers. Lockdowns led to increased domestic violence, and the need for personal protective equipment created additional vulnerabilities in isolated hospital areas. Although many hospitals provided telephone hotlines for mental health support, more comprehensive measures are needed," according to the authors.
Asking health-care institutions to promote gender equality, the authors said that “beyond physical safety measures, we must also address the deeper societal attitudes that enable violence against women, including challenging patriarchal norms within the medical profession itself.”
