Sunday, 18 August 2024 | PNS | DEHRADUN
The health services in the State were severely affected on Saturday due to a one-day work boycott by the Provincial Medical Health Services Association (PMHSA), the association of government doctors. The work boycott was part of a nationwide protest by doctors against the alleged rape and murder of a female doctor in Kolkata. OPDs and surgeries in all the hospitals in the State were suspended as even the private hospitals joined in the protest on a call given by the Indian Medical Association (IMA). More than 2,800 doctors were on strike and boycotted work. They held protests and staged sit-ins, demanding justice for the victim along with security for doctors and patients. Many doctors from the Dehradun district hospital (Coronation) voiced their apprehension regarding the inadequate safety and security measures at the hospital. They said this during a protest on the hospital premises last Saturday. It is noteworthy that the doctors staged protests nationwide in adherence to the directives issued by the IMA, which were prompted by the Kolkata incident.
As part of the protest, the doctors refrained from performing their duties for 24 hours as a means to denounce the heinous rape and murder of a female PG doctor. Consequently, many patients faced difficulties in obtaining the medical services they usually receive at the hospital and expressed dismay over the recent rape incident.
Talking to The Pioneer, an anaesthetic at the district hospital, Dr Nikita Mamgain expressed her concern regarding the Kolkata case. She emphasised that the protest by doctors on Saturday was aimed at telling the authorities to review the safety of doctors, especially female doctors, at hospitals. She stated that hospitals and clinics are like homes for doctors, and if they are not safe in that environment, the authorities are failing to ensure that they provide their services effectively. Additionally, she also pointed at the lack of security guards, non-functional CCTV cameras and inadequate safety measures in the Dehradun district hospital. Mamgain highlighted that safety guidelines for doctors are set by the authorities and must be implemented in each hospital, including a small police post on-site, functional CCTV cameras and safety alarms.
“During the protest, doctors advocated not only for their own safety but also also for all women and girls who work or commute on the streets. I strongly believe that stricter enforcement of laws regarding rape cases in the country will lead to a decrease in such incidents. Additionally, it is necessary for rape cases to be expedited in court proceedings,” gynaecologist at the district hospital Dr Shalini Dimri said.
She also stressed the need to enhance security for doctors, calling for the placement of a police constable, the provision of an authorised helpline number and the establishment of a police post in the hospital premises.
Further, senior medical officer at the district hospital, Dr Neelam has raised concerns about the lack of security measures for the doctors, nurses and other staff members at the hospital. She pointed out that there is a risk of security issues, especially during night shifts when intoxicated individuals visit the hospital and there is no security guard present. She highlighted the need for separate safety guidelines to ensure the safety of the hospital staff and strongly advocated for the presence of armed security guards at the hospital.
District hospital to post more security guards
DEHRADUN: Considering the safety of the doctors and other staff at the hospital, the medical superintendent of the Dehradun district hospital, Dr VS Chauhan intends to increase the number of security guards at the hospital. He acknowledged that the current number of security guards is insufficient. Chauhan cited the recent incident in Kolkata as a reason for enhancing the safety of the hospital’s medical staff. He said that the hospital administration will soon instruct the Prantiya Rakshak Dal (PRD) to assign security guards to the hospital on a contractual basis. Chauhan also expressed concern over the recent rape case and demanded enhanced security measures for the hospital’s doctors. He added that the authorities must address the doctors’ protests and establish specific safety guidelines for doctors working in hospitals nationwide.
