Medical students should know how to help people affected by violence

By Nadeeja Koralage London

"Medical students should have training in how to deal with patients who suffer from violence," said Delon Human, secretary general of the World Medical Association.

"Students must be able to recognise the signs and symptoms, whether it is in the form of child neglect or domestic violence. It is seen as a social phenomenon, but once you make the medical link, it becomes easier to understand," he said.

Speaking at a World Health Organization conference, Milestones of a Global Campaign for Violence Prevention, in Geneva earlier this month, Human said, "Doctors cannot escape the reality that violence is a health issue. In emergency departments and clinics, doctors repair the damage done to victims of all types of domestic violence. They also treat the injuries of perpetrators... Doctors may be the first and only professionals in a position to recognise violence in their patients' lives."

The World Medical Association says that every day 4000 people die a violent death, 50% through suicide and almost 30% through homicide.

Human said medical students had little knowledge of dealing with violent situations and added, "In most countries the medical curriculum does not include enough. We should teach students the implications, consequences, prevention, and management of violence."

The association published its Statement on Violence and Health last year, which called for national medical associations to include violence prevention in their medical curriculums.

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