The People's Health Organisation – India (PHO) has expressed deep concern over the continuing incidents of violence against doctors, nurses, paramedics, and other healthcare professionals across the country, and has called upon the Union Government to urgently facilitate the passage of the Healthcare Professionals and Clinical Establishments (Prevention of Violence) Bill, 2025 into law.

Healthcare professionals dedicate their lives to saving others, often working under extraordinary pressure, with limited resources, overcrowded facilities, and overwhelming patient loads. Yet, they increasingly face verbal abuse, intimidation, physical assault, vandalism of healthcare institutions, and, in some tragic instances, fatal attacks while performing their professional duties.

"Violence against healthcare professionals is not merely an attack on an individual doctor or hospital. It is an assault on the nation's healthcare system and, ultimately, on every patient who depends upon it," said PHO Secretary General Dr. Ishwar Gilada.

The consequences of such violence extend far beyond the immediate victims. They undermine the confidence of healthcare professionals, contribute to burnout and mental stress, encourage defensive medical practices thus increasing the healthcare spending, disrupt emergency and essential health services, and adversely affect the quality and accessibility of healthcare. In an already overstretched healthcare system, such incidents further weaken the ability of professionals to deliver timely, effective and compassionate care.

The reasons underlying these unfortunate incidents are complex and include overcrowded hospitals, inadequate healthcare infrastructure, shortage of trained personnel, long waiting times, rising out of pocket healthcare expenditure, misinformation, unrealistic expectations regarding treatment outcomes, and communication gaps between healthcare providers and patients' families. While these systemic deficiencies require urgent attention, they can never justify violence against those committed to preserving life.

At present, the Epidemic Diseases (Amendment) Act, 2020 provides specific protection to healthcare personnel only during notified epidemics or public health emergencies. Outside such situations, there is no comprehensive central legislation that uniformly safeguards healthcare professionals and clinical establishments throughout the country. Although several states have enacted their own laws, the resulting patchwork of legal protections remains inconsistent and uneven in implementation.

The Healthcare Professionals and Clinical Establishments (Prevention of Violence) Bill, 2025 offers a much-needed national legal framework. The proposed legislation seeks to criminalize violence against healthcare professionals, protect healthcare institutions from vandalism, prescribe stringent penalties for offenders, provide compensation for damage to healthcare facilities, and strengthen mechanisms for investigation and prosecution. Its enactment would represent a decisive step towards ensuring a safe and secure working environment for all healthcare personnel.

"The safety of healthcare workers cannot depend upon geographical boundaries or differing state laws. Every healthcare professional in India deserves equal legal protection while discharging their duty to society. Parliament must treat this legislation as a matter of national priority," Dr. Gilada stated.

PHO believes that legislation, though essential, must be complemented by broader systemic reforms. Hospitals and healthcare institutions should strengthen security infrastructure through surveillance systems, trained security personnel, controlled access, and emergency response mechanisms.

Healthcare professionals should receive regular training in effective communication, empathy, and conflict resolution. Simultaneously, greater public investment in healthcare infrastructure, increased human resources, improved doctor-patient ratios, and sustained public awareness regarding the limitations and uncertainties of medical science are necessary to reduce conflict and rebuild trust between healthcare providers and the communities they serve.

Healthcare workers have consistently demonstrated extraordinary courage and commitment during epidemics, pandemics, natural disasters, and countless medical emergencies. They have remained at the forefront of public service despite personal risk. It is both a moral obligation and a constitutional responsibility to ensure that they are able to perform their duties without fear of violence or intimidation.

The PHO therefore urges the Hon'ble Prime Minister, the Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare, Members of Parliament across party lines, and all stakeholders to extend their wholehearted support for the immediate passage of the Healthcare Professionals and Clinical Establishments (Prevention of Violence) Bill, 2025, so that it is enacted as a comprehensive central law at the earliest.

A nation that seeks to provide universal, equitable, and quality healthcare must first ensure the safety and dignity of those who deliver that care. Protecting healthcare professionals is not only about safeguarding a profession—it is about protecting every patient's right to timely, uninterrupted, and quality healthcare.