Deploy only fit guards, govt hospitals told

THE GOVERNMENT HAS ORDERED HOSPITALS AND DISPENSARIES TO ENSURE THAT ONLY ABLEBODIED GUARDS ARE DEPLOYED WITHIN TWO DAYS

To tackle incidents of violence against doctors, the Delhi government has ordered its hospitals and dispensaries to test the physical fitness of all their security guards.

“Only physically fit and ablebodied staff who can discharge the duties and responsibility of the security staff should be deployed by the outsourced agencies,” read the letter sent by Delhi health secretary Madhup Vyas.

“Deployment of aged, sick, infirm security staff by the outsourced agencies should be considered as deficiency in service for which necessary penal action needs to be immediately instituted against the outsourced agency as per terms of contract,” the letter says.

The hospitals and dispensaries have been asked to ensure that only able-bodied guards are deployed within two days.

“The exercise should be completed in the next 48 hours and all ... hospitals/ dispensaries should furnish a compliance report,” the letter said.

The action was taken after an attack on doctors in Pt Madan Mohan Malviya hospital on Sunday. The letter asks all head of institutions to maintain a “cordial relation” with their DCP, ACP and SHO concerned to get immediate help in case of violence and prompt arrest and prosecution of the culprits.

“Prompt actions like this will ensure that the people will also be wary of beating up doctors. Violence against doctors is very common, especially by the relatives of patients who have been admitted to the hospital and the road accident victims. In fact, one or two such incidents are reported every month from our hospital,” said a medical director of one of Delhi government’s hospital.