No check on visitors at civic hospitals

Increasing number of cases of violence against women patients in the civic hospitals has exposed the loopholes in the security system. Shockingly, majority of the hospitals were found to be flouting the Bombay High Court guidelines issued in May 2009, which makes it mandatory to deploy women security guards at the women wards of all the hospitals as well as to install CCTV cameras at the entry and exit points.

A few weeks back there was an incident of rape where a female patient was raped by hospital staff in a Bhosari hospital run by Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC). There was also a case of molestation in PCMC run Yashwantrao Chavan Memorial Hospital (YCMH). On the backdrop of these incidents, dna visited various hospitals run by civic authorities and found security of women being neglected at many hospital.

Dr ST Pardeshi, medical officer of health (MoH), Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) said that they are yet to hold a meeting on the topic. “Though we have plans to install CCTV cameras in all major PMC run hospitals, we can execute our plans only in the next budget. Moreover, there have not been any such case in our hospitals. Our priority is to install CCTV cameras at major hospitals in the city only because such incidents do not occur in outskirts.”

The scenario in PMC hospitals:

Kamla Nehru Hospital: This was the only hospital which was found to be abiding by the Bombay high court guidelines. It has operational CCTV cameras and women security guards outside every women ward. Apparently, no visitors are allowed beyond visiting hours. The security guards, both male and female, are seen taking constant rounds in the hospital. Two guards are stationed near the entrance and reception on the ground floor to control people.

Rajiv Gandhi Memorial Hospital: Compared to the Kamla Nehru Hospital, this PMC-managed hospital did not have any women security guards or CCTV cameras to check people entering the hospital premises.

Naidu Hospital: Though the hospital had security guards, both male and female, taking constant rounds in the hospital, it was found to be bereft of internal security arrangements. There were no CCTV cameras or any other security arrangements made for women safety.

State-run hospitals

Sassoon General Hospital: Although security guards were stationed outside the female wards and laboratories, not many were seen in other parts of the hospital premises. There was security in the corridors and open spaces within the hospital but a complete lack of CCTV cameras in the hospital.

Pune Cantonment Board Hospital: Though there were CCTV cameras installed in the premises of the hospital, there was no check on people entering or leaving women’s ward. Moreover, there were no female security guard outside the ward. However, a PCB official claimed that there checks on people entering the wards and the female security guard is on leave for last few days.