Ozone Pharmaceuticals has launched Ozone SHIELD, an initiative aimed at providing security, legal and emotional wellbeing support to doctors facing threats, violence, harassment or medico-legal challenges.
The initiative was launched on Wednesday at a special event at the India International Centre in New Delhi, with Dr Kiran Bedi (IPS), former Lieutenant Governor of Puducherry, as the chief guest.
According to Ozone Pharmaceuticals, Ozone SHIELD has been developed in response to the growing instances of violence, harassment and baseless legal suits against doctors. The initiative will provide security assistance, legal assistance, and emotional wellbeing support to doctors if they get caught in such an untoward scenario.
The company described Ozone SHIELD as the first initiative of its kind by an Indian pharmaceutical company focused on the safety and welfare of doctors.
Speaking at the launch, Dr Bedi said, “Ozone SHIELD stands as a testament to true leadership by safeguarding the legal and social rights of the doctors who dedicate their lives to protecting others. Through visionary awareness workshops led by Mr. Sehgal, this initiative empowers the medical fraternity with knowledge, confidence and strong support.”
Dr Bedi also called on other companies to join the initiative and help turn it into a wider movement by sharing their resources.
Recognising the need for such an initiative, Ozone Pharmaceuticals cited a nationwide survey conducted this year by experts from AIIMS, Safdarjung Hospital and VMMC, which covered more than 1,500 healthcare workers. The survey found that 78.4% of respondents had faced threats while on duty, while 58.2% did not feel safe at their workplace.
“It’s this gap Ozone SHIELD is built to close,” it said.
The company also said that in a majority of legal cases, doctors are eventually declared ‘not guilty’ by the courts.
“The pharma industry and doctors stand together as one team serving society. When doctors face mindless violence or unnecessary legal harassment, protecting them becomes our duty,” said Subash Sehgal, Founder and Managing Director, Ozone Pharmaceuticals.
“Protecting the Protectors is the sole purpose of Ozone SHIELD, because a doctor under threat or trauma is a loss the entire society bears. We consider it as our responsibility and commitment to give back something to the medical fraternity for all that they do for us,” he added.
Sehgal said the initiative was inspired by his three decades of working closely with doctors and watching a profession once given unquestioned respect, increasingly coming under attack, threats and harassment.
Conceptualised by Sehgal, Ozone SHIELD is structured as a Security-Legal-Advisory system covering personal security support during threats or incidents of manhandling, legal assistance for medico-legal matters and emotional wellbeing support through counselling.
Ozone Pharmaceuticals said its field teams, which have a nationwide presence, will introduce the initiative directly to doctors. The programme is initially being rolled out among gynaecologists, before being expanded to other medical specialities.
Doctors can also register through the Ozone SHIELD WhatsApp chatbot by submitting basic details, including their name, speciality, city and Ozone network affiliation. The company’s local team will subsequently contact registered doctors.
“There will be no registration fee and the services will be provided free of cost to the registered doctors,” Sehgal told Health Xplore.
Ozone has partnered with a national-level security agency for the initiative. Once a doctor registers and connects with the SHIELD team, the partner agency, along with Ozone’s own team, provides on-ground security assistance in cases of threats or physical harassment reported by doctors.
The company said OZONE SHIELD is also a reminder to society of the need to respect the medical profession.
Anil Kothiyal, CEO, Ozone Pharmaceuticals, said, “Doctors make enormous sacrifices and their role in the building of a nation is no less than that of a soldier. Therefore, we look at it as our duty to partner with the system to stand by them.”
Beyond providing direct assistance, the company said Ozone SHIELD will also focus on raising public awareness about the role and contribution of doctors.
Sehgal said the ultimate objective of the initiative was for it to become unnecessary, expressing hope that doctors would never actually need to use the support system.
