Delhi Lieutenant Governor Anil Baijal on May 26 said both patients and doctors need to understand each other better to improve healthcare.

Speaking at a national seminar on "Violence against doctors", hosted by the Indian Medical Association (IMA), Baijal said: "Medical profession stands at the top in the list of serving humanity, but with changing times we are facing a paradigm shift in the doctor-patient relationship. "Better understanding and realistic expectations from the patients will only lead to an improved doctor-patient relationship along with empathy from the doctors."

While IMA demanded complete end to the violent episodes against the healthcare providers, Baijal said aggression and impatience, along with anger and agitation, among the young generation is solely responsible for the declining doctor-patient relationship. Baijal said the profession is still noble but the basic trust on doctors needs to be restored. "More proactive compliance to a strong code of ethics will ensure that justice is done," he said.

Citing a recent global study, he said doctors' consultation in India on an average is less than two minutes for diagnosis and prescription. "Such a short duration cannot establish any meaningful relation between the doctor and the patient," he observed. IMA has resolved zero tolerance to any sort of violence against the fraternity and has expressed serious concern about inhuman attacks on doctors, nurses and hospital staff.

"The healthcare professionals in India are the worst sufferers because of healthcare violence. Doctors are living in fearful environment in their workplaces. Refusal of serious patients in hospitals will be ultimate result all across and which will not be good for the health of the country," said IMA National President Ravi Wankhedkar.

The violence against medical fraternity has complex root causes that need to be addressed by all concerned wherein government needs to play an important role, he said. IMA past National President Vinay Aggarwal said: "The situation in India has reached a critical stage and warrants immediate intervention from the government by bringing in a strong and effective Central Medicare Act."

Seventeen states have legislations against violence on doctors and hospitals, but poor implementation, inadequate knowledge of police personnel and weak clauses makes these state medicare acts completely ineffective, he said. "The poor and ineffective state of medicare acts make it mandatory to bring in a central act immediately," he stressed.