The National Medical Commission has issued an advisory for all medical colleges and institutions, on the directions of Union health minister J P Nadda, to ensure a safe work environment in such institutions.
The advisory was issued after the death of a 31-year-old postgraduate trainee doctor whose body was discovered in a seminar hall at Kolkata’s R G Kar Medical College and Hospital. The Calcutta High Court ordered that the investigation into the rape and murder of the woman doctor be transferred from Kolkata Police to the CBI.
The advisory said, “Incidents of violence against Doctors in Medical Colleges have been reported in the recent past. All Medical Colleges are requested to develop a policy for safe work environment within the College and Hospital campus for all the staff members including Faculty, medical Students and resident Doctors.
The policy should ensure adequate safety measures at OPD, wards, casualty, hostels and other open areas in the campus and residential quarters. Corridors and campus should be well lit in the evening for staff to walk safely from one place to another and all sensitive areas be covered by CCTV for monitoring.”
The victim was resting in the seminar hall of the institute, due to a lack of resting rooms for doctors on night duty, which did not have any CCTV cameras. The advisory added, “Adequate security measures including posting of adequate security staff (male and female) should be made available at the OPD, wards, casualty, labour rooms, hostels and residential quarters and other open areas in the Medical College and Hospital campus.”
It further said, “Any incident of violence against the medical students should be promptly investigated by the college management and an FIR should be lodged with the Police. A detailed action taken report on any incident of violence should invariably be sent to the National Medical Commission (NMC) within 48 hours of the incident.”
