Amid the ongoing outrage over the security concerns of doctors across the country, the Chhattisgarh government has decided to deploy retired Army personnel in all government hospitals across the state. According to the information, the decision has been taken under the directives of Chief Minister Vishnu Dev Sai. This move aims to strengthen the security of hospitals and their staff, especially in light of the recent rape and murder of a postgraduate trainee doctor at a Kolkata medical college, which has heightened concerns about hospital security nationwide.
Bengal govt to employ retired police, ex-servicemen
Meanwhile, the West Bengal government has decided to employ retired police and defence personnel from the three services for supervision of the security arrangements at the health facilities in the state, an official said. An instruction to the SPs of the districts on employing retired police personnel and ex-servicemen was sent on August 20. The SPs were directed to collect details of the police officers who have retired from the rank of Inspectors, deputy SPs, and additional SPs in the last two years, and are physically fit and also willing to work as security officers at medical colleges and hospitals, district hospitals, and super speciality hospitals.
Union health ministry's guidelines for hospitals
Earlier this week, the Union health ministry issued a list of security measures to be implemented at all central government hospitals which include strict monitoring of the entry and exit and providing escort to women health professionals at night. The move came amid nationwide protests by resident doctors who have been demanding a special central law to check violence against healthcare workers following the Kolkata horror. In a communication sent to all heads of central government hospitals, the ministry asked them to ensure an adequate number of well-secured duty rooms with basic amenities for female health professionals and deployment of women health professionals at night be preferably done in more than one in number.
Kolkata doctor rape-murder case
It is pertinent here that a postgraduate trainee doctor was allegedly raped and murdered while on duty at the hospital on August 9. Later, the semi-naked body of the 32-year-old woman was found in the seminar hall of the government-run hospital in Kolkata. A civic volunteer was arrested in connection with the crime the next day. Following this, the Calcutta High Court ordered the transfer of the probe into the case from the Kolkata Police to the Central Bureau of Investigation.
(With inputs from PTI)
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