The Odisha government on Wednesday issued a new policy to provide a safe working environment for doctors, students, and medical personnel in healthcare and medical educational institutions. The directives come in the aftermath of the rape and murder of a trainee doctor at Kolkata's RG Kar Medical College and Hospital.
All health institutions have been mandated to have perimeter boundary walls with defined entry and exit gates, ID cards and dress codes for all employees and workers, and a visitor pass system for indoor patients. Only two passes would be issued per patient and attendants should be frisked.
The attendants need to wait in a designated waiting area and should be allowed to meet the patient during visiting hours decided by the medical superintendent.
As per the policy, security guards need to be posted in all OPDs and 24x7 outside wards and both male and female security guards must be posted as far as possible.
ALSO READ: After Bengal And Uttarakhand Rape-Murder Cases, MP Govt Issues Orders To Ensure Safety Of Medics
The security guards would be required to patrol the campus and take steps for the removal of unauthorised vehicles and vendors. The order also necessitates the installation of CCTV cameras at strategic locations of the hospital including all hostels, main gates, roads, roundabouts, stairwells, and each floor of the hostel.
Additionally, a control room must be set up for security personnel to keep watch on CCTV footage with at least three months of storage recording backup.
To ensure the safety of women doctors, parking areas would be well-lit with sufficient street lighting on the campus and provision of escort services or safe transportation options for night shifts for women doctors/employees/students.
All health institutions will have to maintain close liaison with the IIC, SHO, or officer in-charge of the nearest police station and police outpost to be established in all government medical college hospitals within the premises of the institution.