Attack on doctors in Chennai: Growing violent streak unchecked by robust governance

By NS Venkataraman*

India is still reeling from the shock of the brutal rape and murder of a young lady doctor on duty in a Kolkata hospital by a drunkard at midnight. While police investigations are ongoing and protests have been staged by doctors across the country, two separate attacks on doctors in Chennai hospitals on consecutive days have raised concerns about the underlying issues contributing to such incidents.

Although the motives for the Kolkata and Chennai attacks differ, a fundamental factor they share is the apparent lack of fear of the law among perpetrators. This reflects a broader crisis in law enforcement and societal behavior. A growing violent streak, unchecked by robust governance, seems to be pervading society. Part of the blame lies with political leaders and officials who fail to set high standards in their actions and rhetoric, contributing to a decline in societal ethics. Media, too, plays a role by focusing disproportionately on negative events, further eroding the societal tone.

While these are general societal issues, the specific question arises: why are doctors increasingly becoming targets of violence in hospitals?

One incident in Chennai involved an oncology doctor attacked by the son of a cancer patient, who was reportedly dissatisfied with the care provided to his mother. While the attacker’s actions were unjustifiable and must be punished, this incident highlights the need for introspection within the medical community. Patients, particularly those with severe or terminal illnesses, often experience extreme stress, which can lead to agitation or misplaced grievances about treatment quality.

Doctors, though overworked and stressed themselves, must recognize that their patients' stress levels are often far higher. Medical Council guidelines urge doctors to remain patient, address questions, and maintain a compassionate attitude. Unfortunately, not all doctors adhere to these principles. For instance, a patient suffering from hemorrhage reported an incident where a doctor, irritated by the patient’s reluctance to accept a pethidine injection due to concerns about side effects, retorted angrily and walked away. Such behavior erodes trust and escalates tensions.

The second attack in Chennai involved a mentally ill patient who attacked a doctor during consultation. This incident raises questions about hospital protocols for managing mentally unstable patients. Why was the patient unescorted? Could the doctor have handled the situation more cautiously?

In response to these incidents, Chennai doctors staged a one-day strike, demanding enhanced hospital security and government measures to ensure their safety. These demands are valid and necessary.

However, doctors must also recognize the inherent challenges of their profession. Just as police officers cannot complain about dealing with criminals, doctors cannot shy away from the emotional and psychological complexities of treating stressed patients. A holistic approach that considers both the physical and mental states of patients is crucial.

The safety of doctors is paramount, but so is the need for empathy and patience in medical practice. By addressing both aspects, we can work towards a safer and more harmonious healthcare environment.

---

*Trustee, Nandini Voice for the Deprived, Chennai

Comments

Was Netaji forced to alter face, die in obscurity in USSR in 1975? Was he so meek?

By Rajiv Shah This should sound almost hilarious. Not only did Subhas Chandra Bose not die in a plane crash in Taipei, nor was he the mysterious Gumnami Baba who reportedly passed away on 16 September 1985 in Ayodhya, but we are now told that he actually died in 1975—date unknown—“in oblivion” somewhere in the former Soviet Union. Which city? Moscow? No one seems to know.

Love letters in a lifelong war: Babusha Kohli’s resistance in verse

By Ravi Ranjan* “War does not determine who is right—only who is left.” Bertrand Russell’s words echo hauntingly in our times, and few contemporary Hindi poets embody this truth as profoundly as Babusha Kohli. Emerging from Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh, Kohli has carved a unique space in literature by weaving together tenderness, protest, and philosophy across poetry, prose, and cinema. Her work is not merely artistic expression—it is resistance, refuge, and a call for peace.

Swami Vivekananda's views on caste and sexuality were 'painfully' regressive

By Bhaskar Sur* Swami Vivekananda now belongs more to the modern Hindu mythology than reality. It makes a daunting job to discover the real human being who knew unemployment, humiliation of losing a teaching job for 'incompetence', longed in vain for the bliss of a happy conjugal life only to suffer the consequent frustration.

Asbestos contamination in children’s products highlights global oversight gaps

By A Representative A commentary published by the International Ban Asbestos Secretariat (IBAS) has drawn attention to the challenges governments face in responding effectively to global public-health risks. In an article written by Laurie Kazan-Allen and published on March 5, 2026, the author examines how the discovery of asbestos contamination in children’s play products has raised questions about regulatory oversight and international product safety. The article opens by reflecting on lessons from the COVID-19 pandemic, noting that governments in several countries were slow to respond to early warning signs of the crisis. Referring to the experience of the United Kingdom, the author writes that delays in implementing protective measures contributed to “232,112 recorded deaths and over a million people suffering from long Covid.” The commentary uses this example to illustrate what it describes as the dangers of underestimating emerging threats. Attention then turns...

India’s green energy push faces talent crunch amidst record growth at 16% CAGR

By Jag Jivan* A new study by a top consulting firm has found that India’s cleantech sector is entering a decisive growth phase, with strong policy backing, record capacity additions and surging investor interest, but facing mounting pressure on talent supply and rising compensation costs .

The kitchen as prison: A feminist elegy for domestic slavery

By Garima Srivastava* Kumar Ambuj stands as one of the most incisive voices in contemporary Hindi poetry. His work, stripped of ornamentation, speaks directly to the lived realities of India’s marginalized—women, the rural poor, and those crushed under invisible forms of violence. His celebrated poem “Women Who Cook” (Khānā Banātī Striyāṃ) is not merely about food preparation; it is a searing indictment of patriarchal domestic structures that reduce women’s existence to endless, unpaid labour.

Buddhist shrines were 'massively destroyed' by Brahmanical rulers: Historian DN Jha

Nalanda mahavihara By Rajiv Shah Prominent historian DN Jha, an expert in India's ancient and medieval past, in his new book , "Against the Grain: Notes on Identity, Intolerance and History", in a sharp critique of "Hindutva ideologues", who look at the ancient period of Indian history as "a golden age marked by social harmony, devoid of any religious violence", has said, "Demolition and desecration of rival religious establishments, and the appropriation of their idols, was not uncommon in India before the advent of Islam".

The price of silence: Why Modi won’t follow Shastri, appeal for sacrifice

By Arundhati Dhuru, Sandeep Pandey* In 1965, as India grappled with war and a crippling food crisis, Prime Minister Lal Bahadur Shastri faced a United States that used wheat shipments under the PL-480 agreement as a lever to dictate Indian foreign policy. Shastri’s response remains legendary: he appealed to the nation to skip one meal a day. Millions of middle-class households complied, choosing temporary hunger over the sacrifice of national dignity. Today, India faces a modern equivalent in the energy sector, yet the leadership’s response stands in stark contrast to that era of self-reliance.

Beyond sattvik: Purity, caste and the politics of the Indian kitchen

By Rajiv Shah A few week ago, I was forwarded an article that appeared in the British weekly The Economist . Titled “Caste and cuisine: From honeycomb curry to blood fry: India’s ‘untouchable’ cooking”, it took me back to what I had blogged about what was called a “ sattvik food festival”, an annual event organised by former Indian Institute of Management-Ahmedabad professor Anil Gupta.

Search This Blog