Kerala orders space audit in medical colleges to ensure employee safety

In the wake of protests by healthcare professionals against the rape and murder of a resident doctor at a hospital in Kolkata, the Kerala government has ordered a space audit to ensure safety of the employees in medical colleges in the state.

State Health Minister Veena George has directed the Director of Medical Education to carry out the audit, the government said in a statement on Tuesday.

The direction was issued by the minister in a high-level meeting of medical colleges called by her, the statement said.

The conduct of the space audits has to be ensured at the institution-level by the principals and at the state-level by the Director of Medical Education, it said.

The additional measures ordered by the minister to ensure safety in medical colleges in Kerala, include organising mock drills, installing public address systems, CCTVs and alarms, using walkie talkies, intensifying security monitoring and not allowing unauthorised persons to stay inside the hospitals at night, the statement said.

Besides these, George also ordered that safety of women employees returning to the hostel after duty at night should be ensured and implementing a plan in collaboration with the district administration to protect the staff and hospital visitors from the attacks of stray dogs.

The minister also directed that all medical colleges should implement the Code Gray protocol -- which is used if someone, including a patient, is being aggressive, abusive, violent or displaying threatening behaviour.

The minister said that all medical colleges are conducting security, fire, electrical and lift audits to ensure safety of employees and patients.

George, according to the statement, said that many hospitals were doing exemplary work in ensuring safety on the basis of the audits.

Apart from that, places like the duty rooms, examination rooms, restrooms, etc are also checked as part of ensuring safety, she said in the meeting.

All non-emergency medical services, including OPD, were affected in various hospitals and medical colleges across Kerala on August 17 as doctors and nurses protested against the rape and murder of a resident doctor at a hospital in Kolkata.

The doctor, whose body was found on August 9, was allegedly raped and murdered while on duty.

A civic volunteer was arrested the following day in connection with the crime.

The Calcutta High Court on Tuesday had ordered the CBI to probe the crime.