Healthcare Professionals Safety: Union Health Secretary Calls for Innovative Ideas for safer working environment
New Delhi: Stressing the importance of addressing the short-term measures for the security of medical professions across the country, Union Health Secretary issued the directives while co-chairing a meeting along with Union Home Secretary Govind Mohan with chief secretaries and DGPs of states/UTs.
The Union Health Secretary urged states and UTs to come up with innovative ideas for enhancing security and creating a safer working environment for healthcare workers, while also emphasizing the need for immediate measures to address these concerns.
The ministry has directed state governments to provide information on the security measures available in medical institutions.
This second round of meetings follows an order from the Hon'ble Supreme Court dated August 22, 2024, aimed at implementing basic security measures for doctors and healthcare workers while awaiting a report from the National Task Force (NTF). The virtual meeting today involved Chief Secretaries and DGPs from various states, focusing on enhancing safety at healthcare facilities.
Dr. Atul Goel, Director General of Health Services (DGHS) was present along with senior officials from Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. This follows the first meeting of the National Task Force (NTF) under the chairmanship of Cabinet Secretary, held yesterday.
Medical Dialogues team recently reported that seeking suggestions on the safety, working conditions, and well-being of medical professionals in medical colleges and hospitals, the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has now set up a National Portal. The suggestions submitted to the Health Ministry portal shall be combined for consideration of the National Task Force (NTF), set up by the Supreme Court over the rape and murder case at Kolkata's RG Kar Medical College and Hospital.
In today’s meeting, officers of State Governments/UTs including Chief Secretaries and DPGs apprised about the steps taken by respective Governments to enhance the security and provide a safer working environment for healthcare workers across public and private hospitals, medical colleges and other healthcare institutions.
Some of the immediate and short term measures taken by State Governments include the following:
● Proper implementation of state legislation already in place in 26 States & UTs (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) to safeguard healthcare professionals. States without similar Acts were urged to frame the required legislation.
● Enhanced awareness through display of provisions of Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita to protect health care professionals in hospital and medical college premises
● Provision of Chief Security Officers in Hospitals and Medical Colleges
● Police verification of contractual/ outsourced employees working in government hospitals
● Joint Security audits at Government District Hospitals (DH) and Medical Colleges (MCs) by District Magistrates and Superintendent of Police along with Deans/Directors of DHs and MCs.
● Police chowki/police thana available in premises of many large Medical Colleges/District Hospitals, and increased patrolling by police in the night.
● Sexual Complaint/Harassment Committee to be in place and active
● Review of CCTV network and strengthening surveillance through additional CCTVs in hospital premises, especially coverage of dark zones, alleys etc.
● Many states have a control room where CCTV coverage is monitored and stored in cloud also.
● Review of lighting in various parts of the MCs, HDs and other health institutions.
● 100/112 Helpline number operational in most states, and widely used for with good response time. Extending 112 helpline for protection of health care workers being considered by most states.
● Regular drills for handling security threats and episodes at hospitals with health care workers, on similar line as fire safety drills.
● Audit of spaces/rooms in hospitals and medical colleges to ensure unutilized rooms/spaces are not misused by undesirable elements.
● Regulating the number of duty hours of resident doctors.
● Security escorts for women doctors, SRs etc., in some states during late night duty hours from hostel to place of work
Interacting with the states, Shri Govind Mohan, Secretary, Ministry of Home Affairs also requested the officers to ensure the following in the hospitals with high footfall:
● Installation of CCTV cameras in blind spots
● Integration with 112 helpline for health care workers
● Access control of large hospitals
● Sharing of revamped position under Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS)
Union Health Secretary 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:
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.
b) Security check of all hired security and other services staff to be done on a regular basis. DGR/State Security Corporation to provide security personnel.
c) Control Room, especially in large DHs/MCs, with duty roaster of staff that regularly monitor CCTV and securely store the data.
d) Distress call to be attended to by Control Rooms.
e) Mock drills for security to be conducted regularly like safety drill for fire.
f) Training of hired security personnel to upgrade their capacity; in many establishments they are observed to be found wanting in discharging their duties due to poor capacities.
g) Patient facilitators/trolley men/MTS in large hospitals to ferry patients on wheelchairs/stretchers is required, to reduce number of patient attendants and lessen the load and stress on security And other healthcare professionals.
h) Capacity building and training of doctors and other healthcare workers in bereavement protocols, especially in emergency/casualty wards.
i) Security and safety committee to be institutionalized and involve Sr/Jr residents and students for continuous monitoring of the situation and status of emergency response preparedness.
j) 'Routine Security patrolling' in all the hospital/medical college premises during night time.
