TIRUCHY: In the wake of the devastating Kolkata rape-murder case, the Mahatma Gandhi Memorial Government Hospital (MGMGH) has taken steps to bolster safety in campus for its women students and doctors.
According to sources, over 300 postgraduate doctors, including women, are studying at MGMGH. In a meeting held on Saturday, PG students raised multiple demands with the dean to improve security in the campus.
They also demanded a space to rest near the wards where they were deployed. It may be noted that the Supreme Court on Tuesday directed the constitution of a 10-member national task force to make recommendations for a safe workplace for medical professionals.
Heeding to students’ demands, the hospital administration designated separate rooms for men and women in four floors at the new GH building as resting areas for both PG students and those on Compulsory Rotatory Residential Internship (CRRI).
To improve security, over 100 existing personnel have been reassigned to focus on emergency and trauma care sections where a higher volume of attendants accompany patients, officials said. Additionally, the hospital administration is trying to implement the policy of allowing only one attendant per patient to prevent crowding.
A Arshiya Begum, the dean (in-charge) of MGMGH, said that she has requested the city police to station additional personnel and train private security staff in patrolling. The hospital administration has also installed additional tubelights in dark spots, she said.
“A comprehensive audit of the existing CCTV network has also been conducted. The hospital’s 185 cameras and the medical college’s 136 cameras will be upgraded to high-resolution for enhanced surveillance. Plans are under way to purchase additional cameras,” she added.
While PG trainee doctors in the GH welcomed the administration’s actions, they also demanded an active Vishakha committee in the college, to address complaints of harassment that may happen in the workplace. In response, Begum said that awareness on the committee would be increased and its functioning would be improved.