RESUMO
Violence against doctors is on rise throughout the world. Though this violence is more likely to occur in and around intensive care units no doctor is immune to this phenomenon and according to a study by the Indian Medical Association over 75% of doctors have faced violence at work at some or the other time of their career. The doctors are regularly abused, threatened, sued, assaulted, manhandled, and even killed. The phenomenon is rising to such a magnitude that even government hospitals are being guarded by armed security personnel. Even world health origination has taken the cognizance of this situation and drawn out a global action plan to prevent this violence. In absence of any standard operating procedure (SOP) sudden violent events leave everyone clueless and till the time everybody comes into sense the doctors are already brutally assaulted. One of the important steps in prevention of this violence is enactment of law against miscreants. There are instances where some unforeseen complications occur and death of patient results is agitated relatives making complaint against doctors and in many cases, doctors are slapped with IPC 304A for which arrests may take place. Central government as well as many states including state of Rajasthan and Maharashtra have enacted stringent laws against those indulging in violence against health care workers. The need is to implement it properly and law enforcing authorities such as police should be sensitized for using these stringent laws against those who perpetuate violence against health care workers.