Install CCTV cameras in blind spots, control people’s access: Centre's advisory to states on doctors’ safety

New Delhi: The Union government on Wednesday asked the states to install CCTV in blind spots and undertake access control exercises in large hospitals as some of the immediate measures to improve the security of doctors even as the National Task Force on doctor’s safety took stock of how the hospitals are guarded across the country.

Other advises from the Centre include security audit of the hospitals along with the district administration, training of the hired security personnel and having adequate number of hospital staff to ferry patients on wheelchairs and stretchers in order to reduce the number of patient attendants and lessen the load on the guards.

The task force meeting chaired by the Union Home Secretary Govid Mohan and Union Health Secretary Apurva Chandra interacted with the Chief Secretaries and Director Generals of Police in accordance with a Supreme Court order to come out with an interim report on the safety of the medicos within three weeks and the final report by Oct 20.

Last week the Union Health Ministry wrote to the states outlining the contours of the review meeting and listing out ten immediate measures that need to be taken for safety and security of healthcare workers.

“Other measures being implemented include review of the CCTV network and strengthening surveillance through additional CCTVs in hospital premises, especially coverage of dark zones and alleys, and reviewing the lighting in medical colleges, district hospitals and other health institutions,” an official said.

Audit of the spaces and rooms in hospitals and medical colleges are being carried out to ensure unutilized spaces or rooms are not misused by undesirable elements.

Some of the immediate short term measures shared by the states include police verification of contractual and outsourced employees working in government hospitals and joint security audits at district hospitals and medical colleges by district magistrates and superintendent of police along with deans and directors.

This is the second meeting of the national task force in two days that takes place a day after the first review chaired by the Cabinet Secretary Rajiv Gauba.

The task force was set up last week on the direction of the Supreme Court, which suo motu took cognizance of the gruesome rape and murder of a young female doctor in Kolkata’s RG Kar Medical College and Hospital, and decided to examine the doctors’ safety issues as medicos hit the streets on protests.

Currently 26 states and union territories have their own laws to safeguard the healthcare workers, but doctors claim that these legislations are inadequate in the absence of a central law.

While steps are being taken to increase awareness about these legislations, the states have also been asked to display the provisions of Bharatiya Nyay Sanhita (formerly IPC) prominently within hospitals and medical colleges to enhance awareness about the law.