Panic Buttons, Emergency Phones, Female Security Guards- Odisha notifies Safe Workplace Environment policy for HCPs
Bhubaneswar: Amid the nationwide demands to ensure the safety of doctors at their workplace, the Odisha Health and Family Welfare Department has introduced a new policy to provide a safe workplace environment for doctors, students and medicare persons in healthcare & health education institutions.
This new policy, prescribed by the Odisha Health Department for all the healthcare and health education institutes in the State, includes provisions for mandatory ID cards, 24x7 security arrangements, adequate duty rooms and washrooms for on-duty doctors and nurses etc.
Apart from this, the policy also recommended arranging an emergency response plan including panic buttons, emergency phones, mobile apps etc. It also called for zero tolerance for any kind of harassment or bullying and it also directed the health institutes across the country to provide proper orientation and training to ensure a respectful workplace culture.
Further the State has made it necessary to ensure clear incident reporting and prompt action on reported incidents. It has also asked the health institutes to set up an institutional monitoring committee to undertake a monthly review of all the measures mentioned in the policy.
This policy was introduced by the State through a notification dated 18.09.2024 and it mentioned that in order to ensure a safe workplace environment for doctors, students and all medicare persons, the following guidelines are hereby prescribed for healthcare and health education institutions :-
Access Control:
a. All health institutions should have a perimeter boundary wall with defined entry and exit gates. The entry of the general public and vehicles is to be regulated to stop use of health institution premises for thoroughfare.
b. All employees / workers of the health institution should be provided with an ID card. Dress codes where applicable, should be strictly followed.
c. Visitors pass system is to be followed for indoor patients. Only two entry passes are to be 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.
d. Attendants should wait in a designated waiting area outside the ward. They should be allowed to meet the patient only during visiting hours to be decided by the Medical Superintendent. Visiting hours must be mentioned on the visiting card issued to the attendants and also on the prominent sites in the Hospital/Medical College.
Also Read: Code Violet: What should doctors do? Here's what the latest Govt Guidelines say
Security Arrangements
a. Security guards must be posted in all OPDs and 24x7 outside wards. As far as possible, both male and female security guards must be posted
b. The security guards should patrol in the campus and take steps for removal of unauthorized vehicles and vendors.
c. If required, security hubs may be set up near high case load Departments in the hospital. The telephone number of these hubs may be made available through the display of signage.
d. 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 gate, roads, round abouts, stairwells, other strategic points on campus and on each floor of the hostel.
e. A control room must be available for security personnel 24x7 to keep watch on CCTV footage regularly, which must have at least 3 months storage recording backup.
f. Well-lit secure parking areas, sufficient street lighting in the campus and provision of escort services or safe transportation options for night shifts for women doctors/ employees / students should be made.
g. 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.
h. All health institutions should maintain. a close liaison with the IIC / SHO/Officer-in Charge of the nearest police station.
In all Government Medical College Hospitals, 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.
j. Regular safety audits should be conducted to identify and address potential security risks.
Availability of Duty Room and Rest room for Doctors and Staff:
Availability of doctor's duty room and washrooms for male and female doctors and nurses in all wards shall be ensured.
Emergency Response Plan:
A clear emergency response plan should be developed for all institutions, which may include panic buttons, emergency phones, mobile apps etc. to respond quickly to any threat and in emergency situations. A specific phone number can be set-up in the main Security Control Room to report any emergency or security issue at any time
Respectful Workplace Culture:
a Institutions should foster a respectful workplace culture, addressing harassment, bullying or discrimination. and promoting a culture of inclusivity and respect. There must be zero tolerance for any harassment or bullying.
b. Prominent signage must be displayed in the campus stating that patients' attendants & family must behave in respectful manner to all the medical and supporting staff and strict action would be taken against the offenders as per relevant provisions of law.
c. Signage highlighting the penal provisions under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and the Odisha Medicare Service Persons and Medicare Service Institutions (Prevention of Violence and Damage of Property) Act, 2008 should be placed in front of the health institutions.
Support Services:
a. The health institution should provide orientation and training on respectful workplace culture, hospital safety policies. provisions for emergency situations, respectful communication, punctuality and transparency, to all medicare workers, students and security personnel.
b. The health institutions should take steps to offer support services, including counselling, women's self-defence training programs, and peer support groups to address workplace stress or trauma.
Incident Reporting:
a. The health institution should establish a clear incident reporting process, ensuring confidentiality and prompt action on reported incidents.
Any incident of violence against medical students should be promptly investigated by the college management and FIR should be lodged with the Police within six hours by the Head of the Institution.
c. 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.
d. The superintendent of police of concerned district shall, take immediate and appropriate action as per law against miscreants in order to discourage people from such activities.
Institutional Monitoring Committee:
a. An Institutional Monitoring Committee should be constituted to undertake monthly review of all the above measures and take follow up action thereon. The Committee should be chaired by the head of the institution and should have representatives of doctors / faculty, paramedics, students and other relevant groups
Medical Dialogues had earlier reported that to ensure the safety of healthcare workers at their workplace, the Karnataka Government was planning to initiate a "Code Grey Protocol" which exists in the medical college and hospitals in Kerala.
The Kerala Health Department framed the Code Grey Protocol in March 2024 to ensure the safety of health workers, patients, and hospitals and by alerting the hospital staff to a dangerous or combative person in the hospital or of any criminal activities on the premises.
Code Grey Protocol, drawn up by the Health Department of Kerala government to ensure the safety of health workers, patients and hospitals in March 2024, is aimed at alerting the hospital staff to a dangerous or combative person in the hospital or criminal activity on the premises. The protocol also calls for extending psychological support and legal protection to the employees at a hospital.
After the recent horrific incident of rape and murder of a postgraduate trainee doctor at Kolkata-based RG Kar Medical College and Hospital, the National Medical Commission (NMC) had issued an advisory, asking the medical colleges to ensure the safety of doctors by developing a policy towards a safe work environment on the campus for all staff members including doctors and medical students.
In the advisory, the Commission had the medical colleges should develop a policy that "should ensure adequate safety measures at OPD, wards, casualty, hostels and other open areas on campus and in residential quarters. Corridors and campus be well-lit in the evening for staff to walk safely from one place to other and all sensitive areas be covered by CCTV for monitoring."
Also Read: 'Code Grey Protocol' to be implemented in Karnataka Medical Colleges for doctors' safety
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