The Union health ministry has asked states to implement measures such as night patrolling on hospital premises and regulating visitor access to key areas to ensure the safety of medical staff, reported PTI on Thursday.
This came at the direction of the Supreme Court, which has taken suo motu cognisance of the rape and murder of a resident doctor at Kolkata’s RG Kar Medical College and Hospital this month.
The incident triggered widespread protests across the country.
On August 20, the Court constituted a National Task Force of doctors to recommend measures to ensure safety in the workplace for medical professionals.
On August 22, the Supreme Court directed that “the Secretary in the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare shall engage with the Chief Secretaries and Directors General of Police so as to ensure that the State Governments/Union territories put into place certain basic minimum requirements pending the receipt of the report of the National Task Force to assuage the concerns of the doctors over their safety at their workplaces”.
On August 23, Union Health Secretary Apurva Chandra wrote to the chief secretaries and director generals of police in all states conveying the Supreme Court’s directions.
“It [Supreme Court] has also directed that the State governments shall take remedial and appropriate action given the exigencies of the situation within a period of two weeks thereafter,” Chandra said.
The Union health ministry will also convene a meeting with the state officials to discuss their preparedness to implement measures for the safety of hospital staff, reported PTI.
The health ministry has directed that state laws guaranteeing protection for healthcare workers, along with relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and details of penalties and punishments, in the native and English language, should be displayed on hospital premises.
The ministry also suggested the establishment of two committees – a hospital security committee and a violence prevention committee – comprising senior doctors and administrative officers to develop and implement effective security measures.
It also called for regulating access to key hospital areas for visitors and patients’ relatives and emphasised the importance of enforcing a strict visitor pass policy.
Chandra also told states to ensure the safe movement of resident doctors and nurses between on the premises during night shifts. He also requested that hospitals ensure their premises are properly lit.
The ministry also recommended stepping up routine security patrols on hospital premises at night and regular maintenance of CCTV cameras. It called for establishing a round-the-clock manned security control room and liaising with the nearest police station
Hospitals were also told to establish internal committees to curb sexual harassment.
IMA suspends Dr Sandip Gosh
The Indian Medical Association, the largest voluntary doctors’ organisation in the country, on Wednesday suspended the membership of Dr Sandip Ghosh, former principal of RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata.
This came amid an investigation of corruption charges against him by the Central Bureau of Investigation, reported The Indian Express.
Ghosh was the vice president of the association’s Calcutta unit.
In a letter to Ghosh, the Indian Medical Association said that there was “lack of empathy and sensitivity in [his] handling [of] the [rape-murder] issue” and accused him of “bringing disrepute” to the medical fraternity.
Ghosh has been accused of attempting to cover up the incident of rape and murder of the junior doctor, who was found dead on the campus on August 9.
After he voluntarily resigned from his post at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital, he was appointed as the principal of Calcutta National Medical College and Hospital.
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