Hindi English Translation || Editorial || Safety, in the line of duty: on Kerala’s move and health-care workers

Safety, in the line of duty: on Kerala’s move and health-care workers

Doctors must be protected while they are working with patients

Medical science is so advanced today, it has extended longevity (दीर्घायु, लम्बी आयु) and enhanced quality of life in ways thought impossible in the past, and yet, life must end in death. For those who lose someone dear (close, intimate, beloved, much loved; endearing, lovable) to them, there is anger, disbelief (अविश्वास, संदेह) and lack of (absence, scarcity, deficiency, non-existence, unavailability) acceptance, and this is sometimes unleashed (let loose, unchain, unshackle, let something go freely/uncontrollably) on the hospital, doctors and nurses. This is why Kerala’s move (कदम, कार्रवाई) to amend the Kerala Healthcare Service Persons and Healthcare Service Institutions (Prevention of Violence and Damage to Property) Act, to fortify (मजबूत करना) defences (रक्षा, सुरक्षा) against attacks on health-care institutions and workers is not only welcome (स्वागत, सहमत) but is also essential intervention (हस्तक्षेप). The death of a young house surgeon, Vandana Das, at the hands of (caused by, done by) an ‘inebriated (drunk, drunken, intoxicated)’ patient during a routine medical examination in Kerala has not only shocked the community but has also revived (पुनर्जीवित करना, पुनर्स्थापित करना) fear among health-care workers about their own safety. Doctors have organised protests across the country, condemning this attack and urging authorities (प्राधिकारी, अधिकारी) to ensure protection. While this particular incident might have been an outlier in terms of (के संदर्भ में) how it occurred, recent history in the country is replete with (से परिपूर्ण, से भरा हुआ) instances of co-ordinated assaults (हमला, आक्रमण) on health-care workers by irate (angry, furious, fuming, infuriated) patients or their attendees (attendant, visitor, guest) disappointed with health outcomes. The warriors in the hospitals, unlike those battling on enemy lines, do not sign up (join, enter, get in) for assault in the line of duty. It is the duty of the state (राज्य) and the community to protect them and ensure they are shielded from assault and abuse, verbal and physical. The Kerala amendment is progressive (प्रगतिशीलता) in that it proposes to bring verbal abuse and violent acts causing simple and grievous (painful, severe, serious, shocking, dreadful) hurt under the purview (limit, bound, range) of the Act. Enhanced jail term (up to three years) and a hefty fine (up to ₹50,000) for those found guilty (अपराधी, दोषी) are also being prescribed (stipulate, lay down, determine, establish, formulate). The government has proposed time-bound (related to a certain moment or era in time) speedy disposal (removal, scrapping, discarding) of such cases besides (apart from, other than, excluding, in addition, furthermore) designating one court in each district as a special court to deal with these cases.

Other States need to consider interventions on similar lines (method, way, approach, procedure) too. While the law itself needs to be potent (powerful, strong, vigorous), its implementation (imposition, execution, carrying out) should also promote deterrence (the act of deterring/stopping someone from doing something), driving home the government’s commitment toward seriously handling assault on the health-care workforce (staff, workers, employees). Since sagacity (wisdom, insight, understanding, intelligence, sharpness, thoughtfulness) is unlikely (doubtful, implausible, improbable, questionable) to prevail (exist, be present, be the case, be prevalent, be widespread) in emergency and critical situations, it will be prudent (wise, sensible, careful/ far-sighted) to ensure that some measure of protection, security staff, for instance (as an example), is made available at private and public hospitals. It is unfortunate that a young doctor’s life was snuffed out (kill (in a sudden manner)) even as it had hardly (barely, almost not) begun, but it is very much in the hands of (under the control of; in the possession of) the States to ensure that no such sacrifices (loss, victim) are demanded at the altar of (in the interests of) patient care anymore.

Courtesy: The Hindu

Important Word List With Meaning

1.move (noun)

Hindi Meaning - कदम, कार्रवाई
English Meaning - step, action, act, measure, tactic.

2.longevity (noun)

Hindi Meaning - दीर्घायु, लम्बी आयु
English Meaning - long life.

3.disbelief (noun)

Hindi Meaning - अविश्वास, संदेह
English Meaning - scepticism, doubt, mistrust, suspicion.

4.fortify (verb)

Hindi Meaning - मजबूत करना
English Meaning - strengthen, reinforce, support, buttress.

5.defence (noun)

Hindi Meaning - रक्षा, सुरक्षा
English Meaning - protection, security, shielding, safeguarding.

6.welcome (adjective)

Hindi Meaning - स्वागत, सहमत
English Meaning - pleasing, agreeable, heartening, promising, much needed.

7.intervention (noun)

Hindi Meaning - हस्तक्षेप
English Meaning - the process of intervening in something; involvement, interference.

8.revive (verb)

Hindi Meaning - पुनर्जीवित करना, पुनर्स्थापित करना
English Meaning - restore, renew, bring back, bring round.

9.authorities (noun)

Hindi Meaning - प्राधिकारी, अधिकारी
English Meaning - officials, officialdom, the people in charge, the government, the bureaucracy.

10.in terms of (phrase)

Hindi Meaning - के संदर्भ में
English Meaning - with regard to, concerning, in respect of, with reference to.

11.replete with (adjective)

Hindi Meaning - से परिपूर्ण, से भरा हुआ
English Meaning - filled with, overloaded, well supplied/stocked with.

12.assault (noun)

Hindi Meaning - हमला, आक्रमण
English Meaning - attack, offensive, onslaught.

13.the state (noun)

Hindi Meaning - राज्य
English Meaning - the government, the administration, the regime, the authorities, the Establishment.

14.progressive (adjective)

Hindi Meaning - प्रगतिशीलता
English Meaning - forward-looking, forward-thinking; reforming, revolutionary.

15.guilty (adjective)

Hindi Meaning - अपराधी, दोषी
English Meaning - at fault, culpable, accountable/responsible for misconduct.

16.in the line of duty (phrase)

English Meaning - while working; while someone is doing his/her job.

17.dear (adjective)

English Meaning - close, intimate, beloved, much loved; endearing, lovable.

18.lack of (noun)

English Meaning - absence, scarcity, deficiency, non-existence, unavailability.

19.unleash (verb)

English Meaning - let loose, unchain, unshackle, let something go freely/uncontrollably.

20.Kerala Healthcare Service Persons and Healthcare Service Institutions (Prevention of Violence and Damage to Property) Act (noun)

English Meaning - An Act to prohibit violence against healthcare service persons and to prevent damage and loss to property in healthcare service institutions and for matters connected therewith or incidental thereto.

21.at the hands of (phrase)

English Meaning - caused by, done by.

22.inebriated (adjective)

English Meaning - drunk, drunken, intoxicated.

23.outlier (noun)

English Meaning - aberration, deviation, exception, anomaly, eccentricity.

24.coordinated assault (noun)

English Meaning - a violent assault by one or more individuals using weapons with the intent to inflict harm.

25.irate (adjective)

English Meaning - angry, furious, fuming, infuriated.

26.attendee (noun)

English Meaning - attendant, visitor, guest.

27.sign up (phrasal verb)

English Meaning - join, enter, get in.

28.grievous (adjective)

English Meaning - painful, severe, serious, shocking, dreadful.

29.purview (noun)

English Meaning - limit, bound, range.

30.hefty (adjective)

English Meaning - large, huge, substantial.

31.prescribe (verb)

English Meaning - stipulate, lay down, determine, establish, formulate.

32.time-bound (adjective)

English Meaning - related to a certain moment or era in time.

33.disposal (noun)

English Meaning - removal, scrapping, discarding.

34.besides (adverb)

English Meaning - apart from, other than, excluding, in addition, furthermore.

35.designate (verb)

English Meaning - delegate, choose, assign, nominate.

36.line (noun)

English Meaning - method, way, approach, procedure.

37.potent (adjective)

English Meaning - powerful, strong, vigorous.

38.implementation (noun)

English Meaning - imposition, execution, carrying out.

39.deterrence (noun)

English Meaning - the act of deterring/stopping someone from doing something.

40.hammer/drive something home (phrase)

English Meaning - to make someone clearly understand something by emphasizing it repeatedly.

41.workforce (noun)

English Meaning - staff, workers, employees.

42.sagacity (noun)

English Meaning - wisdom, insight, understanding, intelligence, sharpness, thoughtfulness.

43.unlikely (adjective)

English Meaning - doubtful, implausible, improbable, questionable.

44.prevail (verb)

English Meaning - exist, be present, be the case, be prevalent, be widespread.

45.prudent (adjective)

English Meaning - wise, sensible, careful/ far-sighted.

46.for instance (phrase)

English Meaning - as an example.

47.snuff out (phrasal verb)

English Meaning - kill (in a sudden manner).

48.hardly (adverb)

English Meaning - barely, almost not.

49.in the hands of (phrase)

English Meaning - under the control of; in the possession of.

50.sacrifice (noun)

English Meaning - loss, victim.

51.at the altar of (phrase)

English Meaning - in the interests of.

52.sacrifice on the altar of (phrase)

English Meaning - lose (someone or something) in the interests of.