The government had promised to provide additional security for the resident doctors at medical colleges.
The medical education ministry has failed to keep its promise of deploying additional security forces at medical colleges across the state to create a safer environment for resident doctors who're at the risk of facing the ire of patients' kin. In the wake of multiple attacks on resident doctors, the government had conducted a security audit and was expected to deploy additional staff from May onwards.
Last year, patients' relatives had assaulted 33 resident doctors and this year, almost seven such incidents have so far been reported. The security audit took into account the number of security guards, walkie-talkies and CCTV cameras needed, and the need to implement a visitor pass system.
Every year, whenever the Maharashtra Resident Doctors Association (MARD) goes on strike, its first demand is the beefing up of security in medical college campuses. Each time, government promises to increase the number of security personnel, especially in sensitive departments such as the casualty ward.
In 2015, after a series of attacks on doctors, MARD had demanded the government conduct a security audit for all medical colleges. Following that, the deans of all the medical colleges had submitted details about how many security guards were already deployed in the campus and how many more were needed.
"Our demand that additional staff be deployed at all medical colleges is an important one. The government provides us with CCTVs and walkie-talkies and yet do not deploy additional security staff or implement the pass system for relatives. I think the government should seriously consider our demand and implement it soon," said Dr Sagar Mundada, central president, MARD.
Dr Pravin Shingare, director, Directorate of Medical Education and Research, said: "On the basis of the security audit, we have already made a proposal and sent it to the government. But the government had implemented a stay on new recruitment. Once the government gives its green signal, we will recruit additional security guards."
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