Centre seeks report from States, UTs on doctors’ safety and security measures

New Delhi: The health ministry has sought action taken reports from the states and union territories by 10 September on the measures they have taken to ensure safety, security and a safe working environment for doctors and healthcare workers in medical institutions.
This comes after directions by the Supreme Court following the Kolkata doctor rape and murder case. The crime sparked huge outrage in the medical community.
“The Hon’ble Supreme Court has inter-alia directed to hold a meeting with the Secretaries and Directorate General of Police so as to ensure that the State/UT governments put into place certain basic minimum requirements pending the receipt of the report of the National Task Force to assuage the concerns of the doctors over their safety at their workplace.” the health ministry said in a letter to all states/UT government issued on 3 September as seen by Mint.
State/UT governments must take remedial and appropriate action within two weeks of the meeting held on 22 August between the Union and health ministry and state/UT authorities.
The ministry of health has suggested a few key points-such as identification of high-risk establishments. Every district/territory should identify hospitals with high footfalls and consider them as high-priority establishments for security improvements.
Also read | Health ministry orders enhanced security in central hospitals after Kolkata tragedy
Hospitals should focus on high-risk areas and pay special attention to areas with a high incidence of security breaches, such as emergency rooms, triage areas, and intensive care units (ICUs) and labour rooms.
The Central government has suggested timely security audits for improvement, CCTV surveillance, integration with local police, hiring security personnel having technical and soft skills and employing security personnel in the identified high-risk areas of the hospitals, constitution of a security committee and routine security checks.
“Proper training and establishment of bereavement protocols for all doctors and healthcare workers to handle intense and emotional situations,” the ministry suggested along with development of patient facilitators inside the hospitals.
The National Task Force is supposed to submit an interim report within three weeks of the Supreme Court order dated 20 August and the final report within two months.
Also read: File FIR within 6 hours of attack on doctor: Health ministry tells hospitals
The apex court in its 20 August order said that medical professionals on night duty are not provided adequate resting spaces.
“More often, doctors rest in the patients’ room or in available public spaces. Duty rooms are scant. Separate duty rooms for male and female medical professionals are conspicuous by their absence in most health care establishments.”
It said that lack of security personnel in medical care units is more of a norm than an exception. 
“More often than not, medical professionals, which includes young resident doctors, interns and nurses are left to handle unruly attenders. Open access to healthcare facilities leaves medical professionals vulnerable to undesirable elements. There is an absence or lack of properly functioning CCTV cameras to monitor ingress and egress to the hospital and to control access to sensitive areas,” the court said stressing other deficiencies in the hospitals.
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