healthcare workers has emerged as a defining concern<\/a>. Dr Shome said the finding that 84 per cent of doctors fear assault is not incidental.<\/p>\n\u201cViolence changes how medicine is practised,\u201d he explained. \u201cDoctors become guarded, documentation becomes defensive, and high-risk cases are approached with hesitation.\u201d<\/p>\n
Dr Urjita Nayak, Consulting Psychiatrist at Ra Counselling and Psychotherapy Centre and JRH Hospital, said repeated incidents of verbal abuse and physical assaults have intensified anxiety, particularly among doctors.<\/p>\n
\u201cBeyond physical harm, these incidents signal a decline in public trust,\u201d she said. \u201cThis fear directly reduces doctors\u2019 willingness to recommend medicine as a career to their children.\u201d<\/p>\n
BURNOUT IS GLOBAL, BUT INDIA’S STRAIN IS DEEPER<\/p>\n
While physician burnout is a worldwide issue, experts say India\u2019s situation is more layered. Dr Shome noted that Western healthcare systems face administrative overload, but Indian doctors deal simultaneously with overwork, violence risk and legal vulnerability.<\/p>\n
\u201cIn India, when something goes wrong, even if unavoidable, the exposure is immediate and personal,\u201d he said. \u201cLegal processes can be unpredictable, and public reaction swift.\u201d<\/p>\n
Public health analyst Dr Sameer Bhati echoed this concern, citing global workforce warnings. Reports by Deloitte and EY-Parthenon in collaboration with FICCI have highlighted burnout, talent shortages and retention challenges as major threats to healthcare sustainability.<\/p>\n
\u201cIndia has expanded infrastructure, but workforce shortages remain unresolved,\u201d Bhati said. \u201cWithout systemic solutions, we risk losing talent at every stage from interns to experienced clinicians.\u201d<\/p>\n
RESERVATION SYSTEM AND RISING MENTAL HEALTH BURDEN<\/p>\n
Dr Nayak also pointed to the reservation system as a contributing stressor, arguing that limited seats and prolonged competition increase psychological pressure on students from an early age.<\/p>\n
\u201cYoung minds sacrifice sports, exploration and social development to prepare for exams,\u201d she said. \u201cThe cumulative stress later manifests as anxiety, depression and burnout.\u201d<\/p>\n
She warned that increased strain on existing doctors could raise the risk of negligence and conflict, further escalating violence and mistrust.<\/p>\n
WHAT REFORMS DO EXPERTS SAY ARE URGENT?<\/p>\n
Across voices, there is consensus that reforms must go beyond infrastructure.<\/p>\n
Key recommendations include:<\/p>\n
Stronger legal protection and enforcement against violence<\/p>\n
Institutional mental health support for doctors<\/p>\n
Reduced administrative and documentation burden<\/p>\n
Transparent implementation of government health schemes<\/p>\n
Improved rural infrastructure and safety<\/p>\n
Restoring professional autonomy and trust in doctor-patient relationships<\/p>\n
\u201cBurnout, operational stress and fear of safety can derail even the most passionate professionals,\u201d said Dileep Mangsuli, Chairman of CTSI.<\/p>\n
\u201cCreating systems where medicine is both a rewarding career and a resilient profession isn\u2019t optional, it is essential for India\u2019s health future,” he further added.<\/p>\n
Healthcare experts warn that if current conditions persist, fewer capable students may choose medicine as a career, widening regional shortages and deepening inequalities in access to healthcare.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf we want young people to choose medicine with confidence, we must improve the environment in which doctors work,\u201d Katiyar said.<\/p>\n
When the system starts caring for its doctors, doctors will once again feel confident, encouraging the next generation to enter it.<\/p>\n
For now, the survey\u2019s message is clear: India\u2019s healthcare system cannot remain strong if those delivering care feel unsupported within it.<\/p>\n
– Ends<\/p>\n
Published By: <\/p>\n
Shruti Bansal<\/p>\n
Published On: <\/p>\n
Mar 3, 2026 14:07 IST<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"A profession long regarded as noble and aspirational is facing an internal crisis. A nationwide survey of over…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":312494,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[34],"tags":[169945,169949,169952,169951,134,527,34848,169950,169944,3523,169953,169947,75612,169948,15253,111,139,69,169946],"class_list":["post-312493","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-healthcare","tag-doctor-burnout","tag-doctor-mental-health","tag-doctor-patient-ratio","tag-doctor-patient-ratio-in-india","tag-health","tag-healthcare","tag-healthcare-system","tag-healthcare-system-in-india","tag-indian-doctors","tag-medical","tag-medical-career-challenges","tag-medical-profession","tag-medical-professionals","tag-medico-legal-issues","tag-neet","tag-new-zealand","tag-newzealand","tag-nz","tag-violence-against-healthcare-workers"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/312493","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=312493"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/312493\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/312494"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=312493"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=312493"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=312493"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}