For people working in a field dedicated to assisting others, healthcare workers sadly encounter some of the worst workplace violence out of any industry.
This violence is usually the result of the behavior of patients, who often deal with intense and unstable emotions and stresses whilst in a healthcare environment. These emotions in turn lead to violent actions against the ones around them, which usually end up being healthcare workers like doctors and nurses. The problem of violent actions by patients is often minimized due to the idea that dealing with a patient’s behavior is part of the job for healthcare workers. As such, many acts of violence are flat out ignored.
Workplace violence, according to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, is “any act or threat of physical violence, harassment, intimidation, or other threatening disruptive behavior that occurs at the work site.” Unfortunately, this type of violence is a common occurrence in the healthcare industry. According to the U.S Bureau of Labor Statistics, the social service and health care industries saw the highest rates of injuries due to workplace violence, roughly five times higher than the overall workforce.
Violence against healthcare workers is considered a global social problem, and has ignited many protests and strikes around the world for more legal protection for healthcare workers. Protests have especially increased in India, where in August 2024, a female doctor was sexually assaulted and murdered in the hospital she was working at. The discovery of the 31-year-old doctor’s bloodied body at a state-run hospital in the eastern city of Kolkata on August 9 sparked medical strikes and protests across India. She was found in an empty seminar room, where she had apparently only gone for a break during a 36 hour long shift.
The horrific case of her rape and subsequent death in her own workplace, while extraordinarily gruesome and unfortunate, was only one case in a larger epidemic affecting India. Protests by thousands of people and doctors alike followed, all calling for justice and preventions of workplace violence and more cases like these happening.
This violence can also be fueled by misinformation, fear, or stigma, as seen during the 2018 Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). Even as thousands of people succumbed to the deadly virus, healthcare workers and public health officials responding to the outbreak were repeatedly met with hostility. Local communities believed they were spreading the disease rather than helping to stop it. Armed militias attacked treatment centers, and several doctors and health workers were killed. Similarly, during the COVID-19 pandemic, healthcare workers worldwide faced not only extreme workloads but also hostility from the public.
Each of these cases is a strong argument for stronger protections for healthcare workers worldwide. Whether caused by patient aggression, systemic issues, or misinformation, violence against the medical field should not be an inevitable part of the job.
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