When we thank our doctors, do we really mean it??
Jul 07, 2021
New Delhi [India], July 7 (ANI/Mediawire): On the occasion of National Doctor's Day, Manipal Hospitals launched a hard-hitting, impactful video to create awareness on the rising cases of violence against doctors in India.
This video emphasises on the importance of treating doctors with respect and dignity, for the commitment with which they have worked over the past year.
Violence against doctors
With the rise in cases of violence against doctors, the medical community is now more worried about their safety at the workplace, as compared to the pandemic. Often under the pretense of 'medical negligence', the relatives of patients act violently, exposing the medical professionals to physical or verbal abuse. Agitated relatives or patients who aren't satisfied with their recovery most commonly lash out at the doctors, which has led to a need to create a workplace environment where doctors can deliver the best healthcare services, with no fear!
Understanding the importance of responsible messaging and awareness to protect doctors, Manipal Hospitals launched the campaign - 'Happy Doctors Day! Really?'. The video emphasised on reminding patients to think before wishing doctors and ask themselves if they really mean it. It focused on how doctors work tirelessly and they need to be treated with respect and gratitude; not abuse and violence.
Mental health crisis amongst doctors
have experienced some form of violence, including physical and verbal violence, during their practice. 2 out of 3 doctors across the world have experienced burnout in recent times, and more than 50% of them are mentally exhausted.
More than 1,200 doctors lost their lives during the pandemic. But this failed to stop other medical professionals from visiting patients, and delivering services for both COVID19 and non-COVID19 patients. They continued to work days and nights, staying away from their homes and families, to enable high-quality and accessible healthcare for all patients!
Over the past year, frontline healthcare workers have risked their lives and safety, and prioritised the health of their patients. The COVID-19 pandemic has reportedly led to the deterioration of the mental health of many healthcare workers. The extended work hours, rising cases of COVID19 deaths, and the risk of contracting the infection have contributed to taking a toll on the mental health of frontline workers. They are also gripped with the panic of infecting close family members and have stepped away from their homes.
Doctors dignity in the workplace
While they spend endless hours and tiring nights at hospitals, the violence causes them an incurable trauma. They listen to our complaints with no complaints, bear the scars of PPE kits, feel suffocated in their masks - but they continue to take the right safety precautions to ensure the safety of their patients. With the video, the hospital chain aimed to deliver the message that despite the fear of the pandemic, medical professionals rose to the challenge and dedicatedly battled the pandemic. They deserve respect and gratitude, not violence!
The video released by the Manipal Hospitals, aims to be a wake-up-call for people across the country to treat doctors with dignity, and prevent the extremely disturbing series of assaults on doctors. It was conceptualised to remind the audience that doctors have tirelessly worked to save our lives from the repercussions of the pandemic.
The COVID-19 pandemic may have brought fear and anxiety amongst patients. But it also introduced an epidemic of cases of violence against doctors.
The response and love we got online
The film went viral, with over 3.7M+ views across platforms, with views from across Bengaluru to Mumbai, Chennai, Delhi & NCR, Rajasthan, Salem, Mangaluru, Vijayawada, Kolkata, Pune, Hyderabad and more! It was organically picked up and appreciated by some marketing watchdogs including Social Samosa, Social Media Dissect and Savvy Tree Social. While many brands sent out a simple wish post, Manipal Hospitals' radical and thoughtful take on the violence against doctors became the talking point across social media platforms.
The video continues to garner views, and has been shared over 10,000 times on different social media channels. Doctors began to share the video and within just one day, it was trending on Twitter. About 1.2 million+ social media users were reached in just 3 days. Hundreds of comments poured in support of this bold film, with several users applauding the idea. It grabbed the attention of renowned Advertising and Strategy Consultant, Karthik Srinivas. He admired the newspaper ad, calling it a smart one.
The message that we drove home
The goal of the campaign was simple - This Doctor's Day, when we wish a healthcare professional, they must really mean it. With the rising violence against doctors and carelessness in ensuring safety measures, it is time that we address the elephant in the room and act on it.
The Manipal team thanks every single doctor for their tireless efforts and extends our solidarity to the fraternity.
This story is provided by Mediawire. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of this article. (ANI/Mediawire)
