Over 50% of Indian healthcare workers feel their workplace unsafe: Study

Among various medical establishments throughout India, a cross-sectional survey involved 1,566 healthcare professionals.

Survey participants, comprising over 50% of healthcare professionals, expressed concerns about the lack of safety in their work environment, specifically in medical colleges under state and central government jurisdiction.

The research conducted by professionals from Vardhman Mahavir Medical College (VMMC), Safdarjung Hospital, and AIIMS in New Delhi revealed notable deficiencies in the security systems of healthcare facilities in India.

The importance of enhancing safety and security measures in healthcare facilities was highlighted in a recent publication titled “A Cross-Sectional Survey on Workplace Safety and Security in Indian Healthcare Settings” in the journal ‘Epidemiology International’.

Dr. Kartik Chadhar and Dr. Jugal Kishore from VMMC and Safdarjung Hospital collaborated with Dr. Richa Mishra, Dr. Semanti Das, Dr. Indra Shekhar Prasad, and Dr. Prakalp Gupta from All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), New Delhi, to conduct the survey.

A pre-tested, self-administered online questionnaire was utilized for a cross-sectional survey involving 1,566 healthcare professionals from various medical facilities in India. This survey aimed to evaluate different aspects of workplace safety. Group discrepancies were analyzed using logistic regression analysis.

Among the 1,566 individuals surveyed, a majority were women, accounting for 55.5 percent, while men made up the remaining 44.5 percent. A notable proportion of 24.7 percent hailed from Delhi within the healthcare sector. Resident doctors comprised the largest group at 49.6 percent, with undergraduate medical students and interns constituting 15.9 percent.

Faculty members, medical officers, nursing staff, and additional supporting staff also provided responses.

Among the participants, a significant 71.5 percent were employed in state-operated medical universities. Almost half, accounting for 49.2 percent, were stationed in non-surgical divisions, while around a third, totaling 33.8 percent, were placed in surgical departments.

Dr. Jugal Kishore, the study’s corresponding author, shared that a significant majority of healthcare workers, specifically 58.2%, expressed feelings of insecurity while on duty. Additionally, a high percentage of 78.4% disclosed instances of being threatened while at work.

Nearly half of the healthcare workers do not have a dedicated duty room while working for long hours or at night.

Dr. Kishore pointed out that the current duty rooms lack essential amenities and services like proper cleaning, pest control, ventilation, spaciousness, and air conditioning.

He mentioned that a vast majority of healthcare professionals in India have conveyed significant discontent with the current security protocols in place at healthcare facilities.

Among the respondents, more than 70% expressed dissatisfaction with the performance of security personnel, while 62% highlighted deficiencies in the emergency alarm system. Additionally, close to half identified significant shortcomings in access control, surveillance, and security measures in critical areas such as ICUs and psychiatric wards.

Dr. Kishore expressed concerns regarding the security measures in critical healthcare settings, highlighting that more than 90% of institutions do not conduct adequate screening for weapons or dangerous items. Additionally, around 75% of the facilities admitted to having insecure hospital boundaries. This alarming discovery underscores a pressing issue of inadequate security protocols, jeopardizing the safety of both healthcare workers and patients.

Dr. Kishore pointed out a notable contrast in the level of security satisfaction between private and public medical colleges, highlighting that state government establishments exhibited the most significant dissatisfaction.

In state government medical colleges, more than 63% of participants expressed discontent regarding the quantity of security staff, showing a dissatisfaction rate four times higher than that of private colleges.

In high-risk areas, dissatisfaction with poor emergency alarms, access control, and security was criticized by almost 70 percent of individuals, surpassing a dissatisfaction level more than 3.5 times higher.

Dr. Kishore further explained that although central government colleges performed relatively better, they still faced a dissatisfaction rate that was potentially double that of private institutions.

Reportedly, a staggering 81.3% of healthcare professionals have observed violence in their workplaces, with almost half (44.1%) expressing dissatisfaction with the way such incidents were managed.

Approximately 80% of those surveyed were unaware of whom to reach out to in times of emergency, while more than 70% did not have access to a defined, secure channel for reporting security issues.

The study proposed enhancing security measures in high-risk zones, boosting the security staff count, enhancing the conditions of duty rooms, and establishing explicit protocols for handling violent situations to tackle these challenges effectively.

Suggested measures included routine security training and partnering with national authorities to champion for appropriate legal structures.