Maha to Set Up 24×7 Police Outposts in Medical Colleges for Doctors Safety
Mumbai: In response to escalating concerns over the safety of resident doctors, the Maharashtra government is finalizing plans to establish 24/7 police outposts in major medical colleges across the state. This initiative aims to enhance security measures and protect healthcare professionals from potential assaults and harassment.
The Maharashtra Association of Resident Doctors (MARD) has consistently advocated for stronger security protocols within medical institutions. Incidents where patients’ conditions deteriorate or treatment outcomes are unfavourable have sometimes led to aggressive reactions from relatives, resulting in verbal abuse and physical assaults on doctors.
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Resident doctors have expressed concerns that, despite an increase in the number of medical students and patients, security measures have not been proportionately strengthened. The planned deployment of police outposts is a direct response to these concerns, aiming to provide a safer working environment for medical professionals.
A senior official from the Medical Education Department acknowledged these challenges, and told The Indian Express, “We understand the growing security challenges faced by doctors. Plans are being finalized to deploy police outposts in major medical colleges to ensure their safety. The aim is to have officers present round the clock to prevent any untoward incidents”
Emphasizing that healthcare services cannot thrive without a secure and supportive environment for doctors and medical staff, the doctors have been demanding immediate actions to restore trust, ensure the safety of healthcare workers, improve healthcare infrastructure, and uphold justice.
Medical Dialogues had earlier reported that the 15-member NTF, comprising nine senior doctors and five ex-officio government officials, was directed to prepare an action plan to prevent violence against medical professionals and provide safe working conditions for them.
The apex court had asked the NTF to formulate an action plan under two sub-heads — ‘Preventing violence, including gender-based violence, against medical professionals and providing safe working conditions’, and ‘Prevention of sexual violence against medical professionals’.
Under the ‘prevention of violence against medical professionals and providing safe working conditions’ to ensure due security in medical establishments, there has to be training of departments and places within the hospital based on the degree of volatility and the possibility of violence, according to the terms of reference.
Areas such as the emergency rooms and the intensive care units are prone to a greater degree of violence and may possibly need additional security in place to deal with any untoward incident, it said.
The NTF will look into putting in place a baggage and person screening system at every entrance of a hospital to ensure that arms are not carried inside the medical establishment and also to prevent intoxicated persons from entering the premises of the medical establishment, unless they are patients.