Bengal govt issues directives on security for healthcare professionals

Kolkata: The West Bengal government on Thursday issued a list of directives for ensuring safety, security and a conducive environment for healthcare professionals, saying those orders need to be implemented immediately. The directives came a day after the government held a meeting with agitating junior doctors over the same issues.

Works in this connection must be completed as early as possible, the communication said.

The directive came hours after the junior doctors submitted to Pant a draft of the key points of their meeting with the West Bengal government on Wednesday night and were awaiting the state's response.

It also stated that the state has appointed former DGP Surajit Kar Purkayastha to conduct security audits of all medical colleges and hospitals.

All the directions must be implemented immediately, according to the directive.

The directives also instructed the health secretary that "all committees including the internal complaints committee should be made fully functional by the department".

"It should be ensured that an adequate number of police/security personnel along with female police/security personnel are deployed in every healthcare facility in consultation with the state Home Department. It should also be ensured that mobile teams are deployed by local police authorities for surveillance especially during night hours," one of the directives stated.

A centralised helpline number should be implemented to ensure the safety and security of healthcare personnel and a panic call button alarm system along with access control systems should be made operational in every healthcare facility as early as possible, it added.

"Such helplines should also be made available in every healthcare facility as early as possible," the directive added.

The health department has also been directed to make a centrally monitored real-time bed availability information system operational in all the government facilities.

Bed availability information should also be digitally displayed for the benefit of the public in every healthcare facility at a prominent place.

Besides, operationalising a central referral system as early as possible, the state health department has been asked in the directive to take "immediate steps" to fill up all vacant posts of doctors, nurses, general duty assistants (GDAs) and technicians.

"A robust grievance redressal system should be developed to promptly address the grievances and complaints of all the stakeholders including patient and patient parties," one of the 10 directives mentioned.

In its concluding lines, the state government reiterated that "all stakeholders are part of one family and they must work together to deliver good quality healthcare to all the residents of the state".