Is Gender-Sensitive Medical Environment Possible?

Separate and free transport no doubt one of the programmes embarked by the authorities envisioned to empowering women and increase their mobility, inter alia, is seen by many as pivotal not only to encourage their travel for education and other imperative work but also to safeguard their privacy.

This navigates us through some scenes in hospitals wherein female patients undergo uncomfortable situations while being confronted by male staffers for some gender sensitive procedures, manned by the opposite and thereby skip these it at the cost of health.

I remember exactly how during a private function at Srinagar with a guest, being then Chairperson Women’s Commission, I was bold enough to pose this question to the chair, given the recent experience that time my near one had confronted; and a state of melancholy.

However, debatable is it whether the medical institutions are ethically obligated to have gender sensitive staff only for some investigations or procedures, which otherwise could become a reason for some to decline it for privacy concerns. As is rightly reflected “When a women veils herself in modesty she is not hiding herself from men; she is revealing her dignity to them”.

While more efficient and secure platforms for addressing workplace complaints have been established and the Internal Hospital Committees also exist, it is imperative to evaluate educational interventions on gender-sensitivity, imbibing intrinsic values of dealing with gender sensitive patients and the attitude of healthcare providers towards them, nonetheless a provider who respects the modesty of a woman follows the highest degree of care.

Should it be the moral obligation of the policy makers and the stakeholders to expand its horizon beyond, evolve a mechanism of ensuring sufficient gender sensitive staffers in the healthcare institutions and ensure availability of more and more posts reserved for females to avoid such kind of embarrassment confronted by them, prevent them get compelled to decline these crucial hospital procedures and investigations; is a proactive role on this front inevitable, required to be played to ensure safeguarding their privacy.

“If they don’t give you a seat at the table, bring a folding chair.”— Shirley Chisholm