The Health Ministry has instructed that security at all union government hospitals be increased by 25 per cent. This decision comes amid protests by resident doctors who are calling for a central law after a trainee doctor was allegedly raped and murdered at a Kolkata hospital.
Officials said that, in addition to the usual security measures, hospitals can request extra marshals if needed, following their own security reviews.
Officials said creating a central law for the RG Kar case “won’t make a big difference” because the alleged rape and murder of the junior doctor in Kolkata was not related to violence between patients and doctors.
They pointed out that crimes and rapes are already addressed by current laws.
They further said that 26 states and Union Territories including West Bengal, Uttarakhand, Delhi, Haryana, Maharashtra, Assam, Karnataka and Kerala have passed legislations to protect healthcare personnel. In all these states these offences are 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 said.
They said they have met with some Residents Doctors' Associations and explained these points to them.
Additionally, a committee will be set up, led by the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS), to review hospital security and facilities for residents, including duty rooms, working hours, 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," an official source said.
The ongoing doctors' strike in the national capital over the Kolkata incident completed a week on Sunday, causing difficulties for patients.
Doctors across the country have been demanding quick enactment of a special law to deal with violence against healthcare personnel and implementation of improved safety protocols within medical facilities to ensure a secure working environment for all medics.
The Indian Medical Association (IMA) has asked Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his support in meeting their demands, which include a central law to protect healthcare workers and making hospitals as secure as airports with mandatory security measures.
Late Sunday, resident doctors announced that their strike will continue. They decided to offer elective outpatient services in about 36 specialties, such as medicine, surgery, and pediatrics, outside Nirman Bhawan on Monday. However, they said that emergency services at hospitals will continue as usual.
