Night Patrolling, Access Regulation: Union Health Ministry's Measures To Ensure Doctors' Safety

In view of the ongoing uproar seeking justice for the brutal rape and murder of a 31-year-old on-duty doctor at Kolkata's state-run RG Kar Medical College and Hospital, the Union Health Ministry on Wednesday asked states to implement several measures to ensure the safety of medics at workplaces following Supreme Court's order. Night patrolling on hospital premises and regulating access for people to key areas are among the suggested measures.

Doctors' safety: About SC order

On August 20 and 22, taking suo motu cognisance of the incident, the Supreme Court heard the case and delivered orders. In its August 22 order, the apex court directed, "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/UTs put into place certain basic minimum requirements pending the receipt of the report of the NTF to assuage the concerns of the doctors over their safety at their workplaces".

Furthermore, the top court also appointed a dedicated National Task Force (NTF) to formulate a protocol for ensuring the safety and security of doctors and other healthcare professionals.

Doctors' safety: About Health Secretary's letter to police

Following the apex court's order, Union Health Secretary Apurva Chandra in a letter to chief secretaries and director generals of police drew attention to the issue of incidents of violence in medical institutions on August 23.

Chandra said, "It (the top 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."

"In this regard, the following are some of the immediate measures which can be considered to enhance the security and provide safer working environment for healthcare workers," he said in the letter.

In the letter, the Secretary also focused on the display of state laws for healthcare workers' protection and relevant sections of the Bhartiya Nyaya Sanhita along with punitive and penalty details in conspicuous places on hospital premises in the local language and in English.

The letter called for a provision to ensure the safe movement of resident doctors and nurses within different blocks, hostel buildings and other areas of a hospital during night duty hours. It asked hospital to ensure proper lighting of all areas of a hospital.

Besides, the letter said, there should be routine security patrolling on hospital premises at night, a 24/7 manned security control room and close liasioning with the nearest police station.

The letter also sought the formation of a hospital security committee and a violence prevention committee, comprising senior doctors and administrative officers as members to strategise and implement appropriate security measures. Moreover, it also highlighted that an internal committee on sexual harassment be constituted by hospitals and the condition and requirement of CCTV cameras reviewed.

The health ministry asked the police to ensure regulation of access for people and patients' relatives to key areas of a hospital, and stressed on the need for a strict visitor pass policy for a patient's attenders or relatives.