New Delhi: Encouraging States and UTs to come up with innovative ideas which can be considered to enhance the security and provide safer working environment for healthcare workers, a crucial meeting of home and health ministry officials on Wednesday suggested States and UTs to install CCTV cameras in blind spots and integration with 112 helpline for health care workers.
The meeting was co-chaired by Govind Mohan, Secretary, Ministry of Home Affairs and Apurva Chandra, Union Health Secretary.
The meeting was attended by Chief Secretaries and DGPs of States and UTs in pursuance of order of the Supreme Court to ensure that certain basic minimum measures are put in place by the State Governments/Union Territories pending receipt of the report of National Task Force (NTF) to address the concerns of the doctors over their safety at their workplaces.
Dr Atul Goel, Director General of Health Services (DGHS) was present along with senior officials from the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.
This follows the first meeting of the National Task Force (NTF) under the chairmanship of the Cabinet Secretary held on Tuesday.
Representatives of 26 States and UTs informed in the meeting that legislation are already in place to safeguard healthcare professionals.
Andhra Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Delhi, Goa, Gujarat, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Manipur, Odisha, Puducherry, Punjab, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Tripura, Telangana, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand and West Bengal informed in the meeting that legislation are already in place in their States.
Some States and UTs informed in the meeting about the enhanced awareness through display of provisions of Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita to protect health care professionals in hospital and medical college premises.
They have also informed about the provision of Chief Security Officers in Hospitals and Medical Colleges besides The process of police verification of contractual/ outsourced employees working in government hospitals
Significantly, States without similar Acts, during the meeting, were urged to frame the required legislation.
Interacting with the states, home secretary Govind Mohan requested the officers to ensure installation of CCTV cameras in blind spots in the hospitals with high footfall.
Mohan has also suggested integration with 112 helpline for health care workers.
Besides, accessing control of large hospitals, sharing of revamped position under Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) have also been suggested by Mohan.
The health secretary Apurva Chandra, on the other hand, encouraged the States to come up with innovative ideas and laid emphasis on some of the immediate measures which can be considered to enhance the security and provide safer working environment for healthcare workers.
He suggested to have a joint security audit along with District Collector and DSP, and management of DH/MC to review any shortfall in existing infrastructure and security arrangements, and to take up remedial measures.
"Security check of all hired security and other services staff to be done on a regular basis. DGR/State Security Corporation need to provide security personnel. Control room, especially in large DHs/MCs, with duty roaster of staff that regularly monitor CCTV and securely store the data.
Distress call to be attended to by control rooms," the health secretary suggested.
Mock drills for security to be conducted regularly like safety drills for fire, he said.
The health secretary also suggested for training of hired security personnel to upgrade their capacity as in many establishments they are observed to be found wanting in discharging their duties due to poor capacities.
Capacity building and training of doctors and other healthcare workers in bereavement protocols, especially in emergency/casualty wards as well as routine security patrolling' in all the hospital/medical college premises during night time have also been suggested by Chandra.
The meeting took place amid a continued violence in West Bengal over the rape and brutal murder of a post graduate medical student in Kolkata's RG Kar Medical College and Hospital.
Earlier, on August 23, health secretary Chandra also dashed of a letter to all States and UTs suggesting immediate steps needed to be taken for the safety of healthcare professionals.
