After RG Kar Episode In Kolkata, Odisha Govt Issues Guidelines For Doctors’ Safety

Bhubaneswar: The Odisha government on Wednesday issued fresh guidelines to ensure safety of doctors, para-medical staff, and medical students while at work, across the state.

Sources said, the order to enhance security at healthcare institutions was passed in the wake of Kolkata’s RG Kar rape and murder incident, which triggered outrage all over and protests by doctors.

Below are the guidelines issued by the state government through the Health and Family Welfare department today:

Access Control:

• All health institutions should have a perimeter boundary wall with defined entry and exist gates. The entry of the general public and vehicles is to be regulated to stop use of health institution premises for thoroughfare
• All employees/ workers of the health institution should be provided with an ID card, Dress codes where applicable, should be strictly followed
• Visitors pass system is to be followed for indoor patients. Only two entry passes are to be4 issued per patient, for attending the patient during official visiting hours and the attendants entering the ward should be frisked by the internal security guards to check for possession of any dangerous/objectionable items
• Attendants should wait in a designated waiting area outside the ward. They should be allowed to meet the patients only during vising hours to be decided by the medical superintendent
• Visiting hours must be mentioned on the visiting card issue to be attendants and also on the prominent sites in the hospital/medical college

Security arrangement:

• Security guards must be posted in all OPDs and 24×7 outside wards. As far as possible, both male and female security guards must be posted
• The security guards should patrol in the campus and take steps for removal of unauthorized vehicles and vendors
• If required, security hubs may be set up near high case load department in the hospital. The telephone number of these hubs may be made available through the display of signage
• CCTV cameras are to be installed at strategic locations of the hospitals for monitoring of the activities in the hospital. CCTVs should be installed outside all hostels, main gates, roads, round abouts, stairwells, other strategic points on campus and on each floor of the hostel
• A control must be available for security personnel 24×7 to keep watch on CCTV footage regularly, which must have at least 3 months storage according backup
• Well-lit secure parking areas, sufficient street lighting in the campus and provision of sector services or safe transportation options for night shifts for women doctors/ employees/ students should be made
• A public redressal system is to be developed through which aggrieved attendants may approach the Superintendent or Head of the institution at the time of need, instead of taking law into their own hands. The designated phone number should be displayed in conspicuous places on the campus
• All health institutions should maintain a close liaison with the IIC/SHO/Officer-in-charge of the nearest police station
• In all government medial college hospital, a police outpost may be established within the premises of the institution. At least one female police staff must be available on duty at all times
• Regular safety audits should be conducted to identify and address the potential security risks.