Doctors’ safety: Health Ministry received more than 2000 suggestions, task force will consider all of them, meeting will be held soon

New Delhi: The Health Ministry has received more than two thousand suggestions on the national portal regarding what necessary steps should be taken for the safety of doctors in hospitals and medical colleges across the country. The ministry will now study all the suggestions by forming different sub-groups and after this a detailed report will be prepared. While hearing the rape-murder case of a trainee doctor in a Kolkata hospital, the Supreme Court had expressed concern over the safety of doctors and directed to form a task force.

The health ministry is getting a lot of suggestions

After the first meeting of the task force, the ministry sought suggestions from doctors, medical staff and common people through the national portal and the ministry is continuously receiving people’s opinions through the portal. Union Health Secretary Apoorva Chandra says that very important suggestions are being received from the concerned parties regarding the safety of doctors and it is being ensured that every suggestion is studied. As per the order of the Supreme Court, work is being done rapidly towards preparing the interim report within the stipulated time frame.

The next meeting of the task force may be held soon

A senior official of the Health Ministry says that the groups that will be formed to look into all the suggestions and opinions will also include members of the task force. The next and important meeting of the task force under the chairmanship of the Cabinet Secretary can be held within the next 7 to 10 days. In that meeting, sub-groups will study all the suggestions and prepare a report and an interim report will be prepared on that basis. The task force has to submit an interim report in three weeks and a final report in two months. Last month on August 20, the Supreme Court had directed to form a task force in this matter. The Union Home Secretary and Health Secretary have also suggested some short-term measures by meeting with the Chief Secretaries and DGPs of all the states through video conferencing, which are being worked on. The task force and the Health Ministry are working in full action mode before preparing the interim report.

IMA conducted online survey

Meanwhile, an online survey of the Indian Medical Association has also come out. This shows that a large number of doctors feel unsafe during night shifts. IMA’s online survey has revealed major problems like doctors not getting duty rooms, lack of necessary facilities in duty rooms, doctors’ rest rooms being far away from the wards, lack of trained security staff. During the meeting with the Chief Secretary and DGP of the states, the Union Health Secretary and Home Secretary also talked about all these issues and asked to remove such negligence under short term measures. More than 20 short term measures have been suggested by the Center and these will also be seen in the interim report. Instructions include increasing security staff in hospitals, regular security patrolling, security staff training, maximum CCTV camera coverage, making visitor pass compulsory.

Questions arise on hospital administration

The things that have come out in the IMA survey after the ministry’s instructions regarding short-term measures are clearly pointing towards the negligence of all hospitals and medical colleges. Junior doctors are being made to work for 24 hours but they are not even getting a room to rest. To save money, such security guards are appointed who do not have the ability to deal with emergency situations. But the way the task force formed after the Supreme Court’s order is working and the Health Ministry is also checking every aspect related to security, it should be expected that now the negligence of the hospitals is going to cost the administration dearly.