The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India on Monday wrote to the head of all the central government hospitals/institutes including AIIMS/INIs, instructed to enhance security measures in all central government hospitals and medical institutes.
The letter written by Deputy Secretary to the Government of India, Raj Kumar, stated it has been evident for a long time that government hospitals are more permeable to the public compared to private facilities, making it easier for unauthorised individuals to enter freely. Noting that accessibility is important for providing care, it stated that the same can also pose security risks.
It said that hospitals sometimes become targeted by acts of violence, including assault on staff, which can be related to disputes, dissatisfaction with medical care, or external criminal activities. Ensuring the safety of healthcare professionals is vital, it maintained adding that violence or harassment against staff can disrupt operations and affect quality of care provided to patients.
It also said that patient rush increases potential for conflicts and security breaches. Addressing these concerns requires a comprehensive approach to security that balances accessibility with effective measures to protect patients, staff and integrity of the facility, it asserted.
It issued 12 advisories for addressing the security issues in the institutes and urged the authorities concerned to do the needful.
It includes proper display of relevant penal provisions of the State legislation to prevent violence against health care workers in Hospital premises; installation of sufficient number of High-resolution CCTV cameras at strategic locations including entrances, exits, corridors, dark spots and sensitive areas.
A control room should be set up in the institute for quick response to an emergent situation, it stated, and added that one admin staff should always be stationed in the Control room along with security persons.
It also instructed employment of adequate numbers of well trained security guards for proper monitoring/ patrolling/surveillance of the premises; strict monitoring of entry and exit to allow entry to authorized personnel only; issuance of identification badges for staff, patients and visitors for easy identification of authorized personnel.
Display of I-Card by all Hospital Staff while on duty should be made mandatory, it added and also said that appropriate arrangements be made to ensure that all visitors are monitored. It further stated that only one or two attendants be allowed with a patient at any point in time including visiting hours and with an attendant pass only and restricted access to certain areas may be devised.
Comprehensive plans may be drawn for tackling various types of emergencies, it suggested and said that the Plans should be regularly updated and rehearsed including conduct of periodic mock drills to train staff and security personnel for effective responses in emergency scenarios.
The statement also said that all hospital staff, including doctors, nurses, and administrative personnel should be trained in recognising and responding to security threats and should be equipped with appropriate skills to handle emergency situations effectively.
Public address systems should be devised to quickly disseminate information during emergencies, it maintained. It asserted that dark spots in the campus should be mapped and adequate lighting in the premises should be ensured particularly in the duty areas of the lady health care staff, parking lots, entryways etc.
It directed the hospital authority to ensure a coordinated response in case of incidents in close coordination with local police and emergency services. Security policies should be updated based on feedback and incident analysis, it stated.
It also stated that an adequate number of well secured duty rooms with basic amenities should be provided for female health professionals. While deployment of lady health professionals at night should be preferably done in more than one number and they should be escorted in premises while on duty and proper arrangement of secured transport should be made for them for any movement at night, it stated.
It mentioned that an adequate number of patient facilitators and patient coordinators should be engaged for assisting patients, providing information and guiding the patients in the Hospitals/Institutes. The same is issued with the approval of the competent authority, it added.
