MSSC to provide security to civic, government hospitals

In a major move with regard to the issue of safety and security of resident doctors inside hospital premises, the state Health Department has decided that the Maharashtra State Security Corporation (MSSC) will provide security to all state- and civic-run medical colleges in the city.

According to government sources, a meeting was held on Thursday where Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and officials from the state Health Department, Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation, MSSC, Mumbai and state police had participated.

"In the meeting, it was finally decided that the Health Department would hire MSSC for the security of their premises and doctors in government hospitals across the state. The MSSC too has agreed," said a police officer, requesting anonymity.

The city police will provide security to government hospitals in the city till the transition period, which will be complete within a month," the officer said.

"Deployment of guards will be done depending on the requirement of the client. In Mumbai, BMC is employing us. We will be providing security to whichever hospitals the state government would ask us to. Teaching hospitals such as Sion, Nair, KEM, and JJ Hospitals will be covered by us," confirmed Director General of MSSC, Sanjay Barve.

Deployment of guards in non-teaching hositals will depend on the availability of staff, he added.