Health Ministry to set up national task force for security of healthcare professionals
This development comes following a recent Supreme Court order in the aftermath of the horrific rape and murder of a resident doctor at a government hospital in Kolkata
Students and teachers of Ashutosh College, Jogamaya Devi College and Syamaprasad College take out a candle march during their protest demanding justice against the alleged sexual assault and murder of a postgraduate trainee doctor of the R.G. Kar Hospital, in Kolkata.
| Photo Credit: ANI
The Union Health Ministry on Wednesday issued an office memorandum for the constitution of the National Task Force (NTF) to formulate protocols governing the safety of doctors.
This development comes following a recent Supreme Court order in the aftermath of the horrific rape and murder of a resident doctor at a government hospital in Kolkata. The Cabinet Secretary will be the chairperson of the task force mandated to formulate effective recommendations to remedy the issues of concern pertaining to safety, working conditions and well-being of medical professionals and other related matters.
Health Ministry announces series of measures to provide additional security to healthcare employees at workplace
As per the memorandum, NTF shall prepare an action plan categorised under two heads — prevention of violence against medical professionals and providing safe working conditions and providing an enforceable national protocol for dignified and safe working conditions for interns, residents, senior residents, doctors, nurses and all medical professionals.
The Ministry has noted that the phrase ‘medical professionals’ encompasses every medical professional including doctors, medical students who are undergoing their compulsory rotating medical internship (CRMI) as a part of the MBBS course, resident doctors and senior resident doctors and nurses (including those who are nursing interns).
The constitution of “Employees Safety Committees” composed of doctors, interns, residents and nurses at every medical establishment are to conduct quarterly audits on institutional safety measures. Additionally, healthcare institutes are required to conduct workshops for all employees of medical establishments including doctors, nurses and helpers on handling grief and crisis.
To ensure the security at healthcare establishments, the Ministry as part of the NTF protocol has listed that areas such as the emergency rooms and the intensive care units (ICUs) which are prone to a greater degree of violence may possibly need additional security in place to deal with any untoward incident.
Also, baggage and a person screening system should be made available at every entrance of the hospital to ensure that arms are not carried inside the medical establishment, and preventing intoxicated persons from entering the premises of the medical establishment, unless they are patients. It has also directed training security personnel employed at hospitals to manage crowds and grieving persons.
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