According to Pratishtha Singh, The George Institute for Global Health, said, “Burn survivors, particularly women and poor people, receive blame and isolation and face neglect in hospitals. At the same time, overworked and under-supported healthcare staff struggle with burnout, which can lead to unintentional but harmful behaviour towards patients. Addressing patient experiences and system challenges is key to building compassionate and fair burn care.”The study said “dehumanising experience made burn survivors fearful of returning to the hospital, where they may encounter judgment or stigma, deterring them from seeking essential follow-up care.”“This negatively impacted recovery outcomes. Reluctance in follow-up visits and poor compliance with physiotherapy result in the development of contractures – a major complication among burn survivors. This further contributes to disfigurement and stigma,” it added.Patients also shared that their socioeconomic status often overshadows their medical needs, resulting in dismissive and patronising attitudes from healthcare providers.“Experiences of hospital staff in India suggest that burn survivors are often considered as ‘untouchables’- both from HCPs (healthcare providers) and other hospitalised non-burn patients, resulting in the provision of differential care. Such negative experiences in facilities may cause further social isolation, reduce quality of life, and increase mental health burden,” it added.The study suggested an urgent need for reform within the health systems by developing policies and guidelines around discrimination-free healthcare, strengthening public-sector burn care, enhancing rehabilitation services, raising awareness of burns, and improving the social reintegration of survivors.The study said the HCPs also mentioned healthcare facilities’ financial challenges, which often operate within constrained budgets.“Limited funding for essential services, including burn care, was identified as another key issue, leading to a compromise in patient care quality. Participants emphasised that deficiencies in public health infrastructure, like poor sanitation and hygiene, pose significant barriers to effective burn care,” it added.
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