Dr. Dilip P. Bhanushali, National President of the Indian Medical Association (IMA), said that rising attacks on doctors are creating a silent healthcare crisis [1].
This trend threatens the stability of the medical system by undermining the morale of healthcare providers and damaging the fundamental trust between patients and practitioners.
Speaking at the Times Network India Health Summit 2026 South Edition [1], Bhanushali said that the prevalence of violence against healthcare professionals is eroding the quality of care and the delivery of critical medical services [2].
Bhanushali described the psychological toll on practitioners, noting that the threat of aggression looms over the profession. He said, "Violence against doctors is creating a silent healthcare crisis in India" [3].
The IMA president said that this environment of fear affects how doctors practice medicine. The instability created by these attacks may lead to a decline in the willingness of providers to take necessary risks in high-pressure emergency situations, a shift that could ultimately harm patient outcomes.
The summit, held in 2026 [1], served as a platform to address the growing gap between the medical community and the public. Bhanushali said that without systemic changes to ensure the safety of doctors, the healthcare infrastructure remains vulnerable to further degradation [2].
“Violence against doctors is creating a silent healthcare crisis in India.”
The warning from the IMA president suggests that physician burnout and professional attrition in India may be driven not only by workload but by physical insecurity. If medical professionals operate under fear, it can lead to defensive medicine, where doctors avoid high-risk procedures to minimize potential conflict, thereby lowering the overall standard of critical care.
