Amid nationwide protests by resident doctors, sparked by the tragic rape and murder of a trainee doctor at Kolkata’s RG Kar Hospital, the Union Health Ministry has sanctioned a 25% increase in security at all central government hospitals. This decision aims to enhance safety protocols and ensure a more secure environment for healthcare workers across the country.
As part of the new security measures, the ministry has also approved the deployment of marshals at hospitals on a need basis. Each hospital will conduct its own security assessment to determine the specific requirements for additional personnel. Officials emphasised that while these security enhancements are crucial, turning hospitals into heavily guarded facilities is not the goal. Hospitals must balance accessibility with safety, as they are public facilities.
The protests have reignited calls for a central law to protect healthcare workers from violence, a demand that has gained momentum following the RG Kar incident. However, government sources have noted that the Kolkata case was not a typical example of patient-doctor violence, which is usually the focus of such legislation. They pointed out that 26 states and Union territories, including West Bengal, Delhi, Maharashtra, and Kerala, already have laws in place making violence against healthcare personnel a cognizable and non-bailable offence.
According to officials, enacting a central law specifically in response to the RG Kar incident might not significantly change the existing legal framework, given that the crime in question was not related to patient-doctor violence. The Health Ministry has engaged in discussions with various Resident Doctors’ Associations to explain this perspective, stressing that the current state laws already provide substantial protection for healthcare workers.
To address the broader concerns of hospital security and working conditions for resident doctors, the ministry has announced the formation of a committee led by the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS). This committee will review various aspects of hospital operations, including security protocols, duty rooms, working hours, and canteen services, with the goal of improving the overall working environment for healthcare professionals.
