Doctors and those involved with medical profession in West Bengal are spending sleepless nights nowadays, thanks to the growing violence in the premises of hospitals and nursing homes of late. As a result, it has been decided that doctors – both current and would-be – at Kolkata's prestigious Nilratan Sircar Medical College College and Hospital or NRS in short would have to learn taekwondo besides their regular practising. Reason: Just to improve their self-defencing skills.
According to a report published in Bengali daily Ei Samay, several hundred junior doctors and medical professors, including women, have already enrolled their names for learning the martial art form. The training session will begin from March 1 and if it clicks, the same will be started in other hospitals as well.
A few days ago, the CMRI hospital in the city was vandalised over the death of a teenage girl after her family had alleged that she died because of medical negligence. The hospital was left badly damaged as a result of the mob attack and its staff members were badly beaten up. The instances of clashes between doctors and the patients' kin have become a regular feature in the state in the recent times.
However, the experts were divided about the unique initiative to help the doctors help themselves against any form of adversity related to their profession. While some felt the focus would have been on how to settle disputes through proper communication, others said learning taekwondo did not mean the doctors will get into a fight and just that they would be able to defend themselves. Some doctors said they felt the training is necessary to remain physically fit.
An uncommon initiative for sure but will this bring a realistic solution to a problem which is increasingly spreading its tentacles in Bengal's medical world of late?
