Health Ministry and WB Government Increases Security Deployment at Hospitals

In response to nationwide protests by doctors, the Union Health Ministry has ordered a 25% increase in security deployment at all of its government hospitals. In addition to standard security protocol, marshals will be deployed at government hospitals based on demands and after conducting security assessments.

The Ministry has also decided to form a committee under the Directorate General of Health Services to oversee various aspects of hospitals’ security and facilities for resident doctors. The committee will monitor resident doctors’ working hours and conditions, duty room, and canteen services. However, officials from the Ministry emphasized that hospitals are public facilities and cannot be transformed into fortresses. Nevertheless, they indicated that 26 states and union territories have already passed legislation to protect HCPs.

Meanwhile, the West Bengal government has also decided to employ retired defense and police personnel to supervise the security arrangements at the healthcare facilities. The decision was made after the Supreme Court’s order to deploy CISF to provide security at the hospital where the resident doctor was murdered. The state government has ordered Superintendents of Police to employ retired police and defense personnel.