Maharashtra government today informed the Bombay High Court that it has undertaken a series of measures to provide security to doctors in hospitals and ensure that they are not assaulted by relatives of patients.
Such measures include posting of additional policemen in hospitals and handing over the responsibility of monitoring CCTV cameras installed there to the nearest police stations.
Other measures include recruitment of security guards by Maharashtra State Security Corporation at hospitals. Like policemen, the security guards have powers to arrest any person who is in possession of arms or weapon while entering hospitals, state Advocate General Rohit Deo told a division bench.
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The court was hearing a public interest litigation filed by social activist Afaq Mandviya, challenging the strike undertaken recently by resident doctors of Maharashtra Association of Resident Doctors (MARD).
During the hearing, MARD had urged that the government has not taken any security measures to protect them from physical assaults by relatives of ailing patients, who are not satisfied with the treatment provided to their kith and kin.
The court thereupon asked the government to immediately go into the issue of providing security to the doctors.
The AG today informed that CCTV cameras in hospitals would be connected to nearest police station so that the policemen can monitor the situation and take steps in case of emergency.
He also informed that restrictions would be imposed on the number of visitors entering the hospitals and on the timings of their visit.
MARD lawyer also informed that an incident had occurred in Gondia area of Nagpur in which a doctor was assaulted on June 18.
The AG said that this matter was currently being heard by Nagpur bench of the Bombay High Court. He also informed that a meeting of the Commission, appointed to look into the grievances of MARD members, had been held recently. Another meeting has been fixed on July 4.
The bench today asked the government to inform how many policemen have been posted at hospitals in Mumbai.
The court posted the next hearing on June 28 for directions.
