Bahraini doctors learn self-defence techniques to tackle angry patients

Manama: Faced with increasing threats from angry patients and their relatives, doctors in Bahrain will now undergo self-defence training.

The programme to help doctors enhance their aptitudes at defending themselves against assailants has been suggested by the Bahrain Medical Society, but no date was given for its implementation.

"The society will organise the training sessions in cooperation with qualified trainers in order to help our doctors acquire the necessary skills to defend themselves from any assault. The medical staff at the emergency unit of the Salmaniya Medical Complex and in the smaller health centres will particularly benefit from the training as they are the ones who suffered most from verbal abuses and physical onslaughts," said Hussain Al Meer, the society secretary general.

Doctors have at times been attacked by angry patients or their relatives complaining about what they perceived as "unfair and arrogant" behaviour of the medical staff who "failed to attend to their cases promptly and efficiently."

Doctors have regularly refuted the charges, saying that the assailants were often "impatient and edgy people who sought preferential treatment despite the difficult conditions."

"The situation is compounded by the absence of a medical culture among some of the patients and their relatives who are not aware of side effects or specific developments related to the case," said Dr Ahmad Jamal, the head of the society.

However, according to some doctors at Salmaniya, the largest hospital in Bahrain, the media is also guilty and has largely contributed to the deterioration of the relations between patients and medical staff.

"The press has often mobilised people against doctors and the medical staff. They published articles that denigrated the services provided by the hospital even though they lacked credibility, and this has contributed to the emergence of the phenomenon of targeting doctors verbally and physically," Jamal said.