The government has said, hospitals being public places cannot be turned into fortress, however, despite this fact it has directed 25 percent increase in the security at all central government hospitals in the country.
The order comes in the wake of country wide stir of doctors following the brutal rape and murder of a junior doctor at the RG Kar medical college in Calcutta on August 9.
This decision has been taken in the midst of doctor’s grave resentment that had affected medical services in the country.
According to union health secretary Apoorva Chandra, hospitals will be given the option of reviewing their security needs and would be provided the facility as per their demands. They will also be allowed to keep marshals.
There cannot be a seperate law for rape and murder of a doctor because we already have a law dealing strictly with all cases of rape and murder, said the official.
The law in the states and union territories has been enacted to increase security at hospitals.
Rape and murder accused are not given bail. We have conducted meetings with a few associations of doctors and we have apprised them about law.
A committe under the chairmanship of DGHS will be formed. It will look into all aspects of increasing security of resident doctors including duty room, number of working hours, canteen etc.
On the other hand court has granted polygraphy test appeal of the accused by the CBI. A psichological test of the accused has already been carried out.
The CBI team which is in the field has carried out survey of RG Kar hospital and Medical college and looked into every detail.