"The Unsettling Necessity of Self-Defence Training for Doctors"

That a medical university like RGUHS, Bengaluru now finds it necessary to teach doctors self-defence is as revealing as it is unsettling.

It reveals the reality we can no longer ignore:➡️ Hospitals, meant to be spaces of healing, are increasingly becoming sites of tension and violence.➡️ Doctors, already burdened with the immense responsibility of saving lives, now face the additional fear of personal harm.

And it unsettles because:➡️ The doctor–patient relationship, once built on trust and respect, now shows fractures deep enough to require martial skills in medical training.➡️ A profession rooted in compassion must now prepare for confrontation.

As a pediatric surgeon, I see value in this initiative — self-defence training can empower, instil confidence, and perhaps save lives in the most extreme scenarios. But it should never become the only answer.

Real safety for healthcare professionals lies in:🔹 Stronger laws against violence in hospitals.🔹 Security systems that prevent escalation before it happens.🔹 Open, empathetic communication between doctors and patients’ families.🔹 A societal shift that restores respect for the healer’s role.

Doctors should not have to fight in order to heal. If self-defence has entered our curriculum, let it not just train our bodies — but also awaken our collective conscience to protect the soul of healthcare.

#DoctorSafety #HealthcareLeadership #RGUHS #ViolenceAgainstDoctors #MedicalEducation #HealthcareSystem #PediatricSurgery