New Delhi: In response to ongoing protests by resident doctors following the tragic rape and murder of a trainee doctor at Kolkata’s RG Kar Hospital, the Health Ministry has approved a 25 percent increase in security at all central government hospitals. This move aims to enhance safety measures and address growing concerns within the medical community.
The enhanced security will include the deployment of marshals at hospitals, with approvals granted based on individual requests after hospitals conduct their own security assessments, according to officials. This is in addition to standard security protocols already in place.
Officials further noted that 26 states and Union territories, including West Bengal, Uttarakhand, Delhi, Haryana, Maharashtra, Assam, Karnataka, and Kerala, have already enacted laws that protect healthcare personnel. In these regions, offenses against healthcare workers are classified as cognisable and non-bailable.
“So, bringing in an ordinance or even a central law, that too based on the RG Kar case which was not a patient-doctor violence incident, will not make any huge difference,” an official source added.
The Health Ministry has engaged in discussions with various Resident Doctors’ Associations to explain these points. In addition, a committee chaired by the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) will be established to review multiple aspects of hospital security and the working conditions of resident doctors. The committee will examine issues such as duty rooms, working hours, conditions, and canteen services.
“Hospitals, being public facilities, cannot be turned into a fortress. We have urged the doctors to call off their strike because patient care is getting affected,” the official emphasized.
The protests, which have garnered nationwide attention, reflect the medical community’s demand for the swift enactment of a special law to address violence against healthcare personnel. Doctors are also calling for enhanced safety protocols to ensure a secure working environment in medical facilities.
The Indian Medical Association (IMA) has also reached out to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, appealing for “benign” intervention to address their demands. These include the creation of a central law to combat violence against healthcare workers and the designation of hospitals as safe zones with mandatory security measures.