Centre Calls for Hospital Security Upgrades, States Must Report by Sept 10

GG News Bureau
New Delhi, 5th Sept. The Union Health Ministry has called on all states and Union territories to submit action-taken reports on the implementation of immediate and short-term security measures for doctors and healthcare workers in medical institutions.

In a letter sent to chief secretaries and directors general of police (DGPs) on Tuesday, Union Health Secretary Apurva Chandra reiterated the importance of these measures, which were discussed during a virtual conference on August 28.

The letter highlighted several key security actions, including identifying high-risk hospitals with large footfalls, conducting security audits in collaboration with local health and police authorities, and enhancing security in vulnerable areas like emergency rooms, intensive care units (ICUs), and labour rooms.

Chandra also urged states to ensure the installation and proper functioning of CCTV cameras in high-risk areas, monitored from a central control room, and to establish protocols for quick sharing of video footage with local police in case of security breaches. Additionally, training security personnel in soft skills and exploring the use of ex-servicemen or state security forces in these roles were discussed.

The ministry emphasized the need for hospitals to form internal security committees with the involvement of resident doctors and students and to set clear standard operating procedures (SOPs) for incident response. Hospitals are also encouraged to conduct thorough background checks on all outsourced personnel and contractual workers.

States were further advised to establish bereavement protocols for healthcare workers to manage emotionally charged situations and to deploy patient facilitators for better patient care management.

Chandra’s letter follows an August 22 Supreme Court directive, which called for state governments to ensure basic security measures for healthcare workers following a recent incident of violence against a trainee doctor in Kolkata. States and Union territories have until September 10 to submit their reports on the security measures they have implemented.