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Ludhiana civil hospital staff say no cops deputed at night, police refute claim
Amid the nationwide protests in the aftermath of the Kolkata rape and murder case, the staff at the civil hospital’s emergency ward claimed that they have been working the night shifts without any security.
Amid the nationwide protests in the aftermath of the Kolkata rape and murder case, the staff at the civil hospital’s emergency ward claimed that they have been working the night shifts without any security.
They alleged that despite frequent incidents of brawls and confrontation, no police officer is deployed at the hospital at night.
After a murder at the emergency ward in July 2022, the then administration had passed orders for a police post to come up at the hospital to ensure that two cops are present at the ward during nights. However, the staff allege that the reality is far from it.
However, assistant sub-inspector (ASI) Resham Singh, in-charge of the police post at the hospital, refuted the allegations and said a cop was always deployed at night at the ward.
Emergency medical officer (EMO) Dr Sunita said, “The police personnel is seen occasionally. We are mostly without any security. We issue medico-legal reports and there is a threat of violence.”
“We have to ensure our safety on our own,” she added.
She claimed that she is often the only woman working at the ward.
The staff pointed out that as this is the biggest government hospital in the city, cases of brawls are brought for medical examination. They said that since both the parties involved come to the hospital, they also get confrontational.
On July 15, 2022, a 15-year-old boy was murdered inside the emergency ward. The victim had come to the hospital with his brother, who had been attacked by the same group of miscreants earlier.
Raj Kumar, a Class IV employee, said, “We see groups clashing here almost every night and at times, it turns ugly. We work at night without anyone to protect us in case we are dragged into these fights. We are always vulnerable.”
