Representative image showing sexual assault.
Credit: iStock Photo
Bengaluru: All hospitals in Karnataka must establish an internal committee to monitor and enhance security and prevent violence and sexual harassment on campus.
The Commissionerate of Health and Family Welfare Services, Karnataka, on Monday, issued a circular with immediate effect to all private and government medical colleges, taluk and district hospitals, community health centres, and general hospitals to enhance security in light of the RG Kar Medical College and Hospital incident.
They must prominently display legal provisions according to the Karnataka Prohibition of Violence Against Medicare Service Personnel and Damage to Property in Medicare Service Institution Act 2009 (amended in 2024) in both Kannada and English within the hospital premises. These include:
Section 3 and 3A of the Act pertaining to the prohibition of violence and intentional insult of medicare service personnel or damage to property in a medicare service institution.
Section 4 pertaining to three to seven years of imprisonment and Rs 25,000 to Rs two lakh in fine for violence and up to three months of imprisonment or Rs 10,000 in fines or intentional insult.
Section 6 pertaining to recovery of loss for property damage, where the offender is liable to penalty twice the purchase amount of the equipment damaged, besides other penalty as decided by the Court.
Additionally, all hospitals must establish a hospital security committee and a violence prevention committee to develop, implement and oversee security protocols.
These include introducing entry passes for the public and patient attendants to enter critical hospital areas, installing adequate lighting, having other staff accompany women doctors, ensuring security monitors all access points and police patrolling at midnight.
Hospitals must also install adequate CCTV cameras and regularly inspect them, display local police numbers, and set up a 24/7 manned security control room.
An internal committee for sexual harassment must conduct bi-monthly audits to document incidents of harassment or assault, ensure redressal mechanisms ae in place and address grievances.