After the RG Kar Medical College and Hospital case in Kolkata, there are now preparations to increase security. It is reported that the government is planning to increase the number of security personnel in central hospitals. However, nothing has been said officially about this. Also, the government is going to form a panel for the security of doctors in hospitals.
Times of India report quoting sources in the health ministry said that the government has also instructed to deploy marshals in hospitals for immediate security support. Also, 25 percent security personnel can be increased in central hospitals. The special thing is that the protesting doctors are constantly demanding the government to make a law.
Sources have told the newspaper that there is no need for a new central law to deal with violence against health workers. They said, ‘Bringing a law on the basis of the RG Kar incident will not have much effect, because this is not a case of patient-doctor. Rape and murder are covered under existing laws.’ They said that 26 states and union territories have already made laws for the protection of health workers.
Women doctors will get security
According to PTI, the Health Ministry on Monday released a list of security measures to be implemented in all central government hospitals, which include strict monitoring of entry and exit and providing security to women health workers during night transportation. In a letter sent to the heads of all central government hospitals, the ministry asked them to ensure basic facilities and adequate security for women health workers and to deploy more than one woman health worker during night deployment. It said that during duty, they should be given security while moving anywhere in the premises and safe transport should be arranged to go anywhere at night.
meetings are ongoing
Meanwhile, the Union Health Ministry is holding continuous meetings with the doctors protesting in Delhi. A committee has been formed under the chairmanship of DGHS i.e. Directorate General of Health Services for the safety of resident doctors. According to the report, a government source said, ‘Hospitals are public places and they cannot be fortified. We appeal to the doctors to withdraw the strike as the treatment of patients is getting affected.’
