SINGAPORE: I still recall the force of the chair striking me before I hit the floor. It was decades ago, when I was a junior doctor. A caregiver attacked me just as I entered the ward. I fell to the ground, stunned, as my colleagues rushed to assist me.
Even now, the memory of the numbness, helplessness and embarrassment remains vivid. It was a moment that could have driven me away from medicine, but I stayed.
Why do we, as healthcare professionals, continue to serve, even when faced with such hostility? According to a tripartite workgroup’s survey, almost one in three healthcare professionals in Singapore witnesses or experiences abuse at least once a week.
