KGMU to strengthen night patrolling, address dark spots with AI security
A team of three security guards is assigned the responsibility to keep the students safe for the first three months while they familiarize themselves with the campus and the people
Security concerns at King George’s Medical University (KGMU) have come under scrutiny following two incidents in which girls attempted suicide at night and were discovered only hours later. The incidents, occurring within two months of each other, have highlighted gaps in patrolling and surveillance, prompting calls for stronger security measures, including AI-enabled monitoring systems.
Dr KK Singh, media cell head of KGMU, said, “It is true that these incidents happened at night and the victims were found only in the morning. This calls for patrolling routes and schedules to be worked upon, and the new AI system will help that effort greatly.”
Dark spots to be addressed
According to Dr KK Singh, there are four guards each assigned to the Shatabdi buildings and the main building. Two patrols from 4 pm to 12 am, and two more for the night, from 12 am to the next morning at 8 am. Proctor Dr Kshitij Srivastava, who oversees the security, said, “While we do have security guards in place for patrolling and surveillance cameras across the campuses, it is true that there are some dark spots that remain to be addressed.” He shared that the institute is working on further strengthening the security systems.
Further, as far as new students are concerned, Dr KK Singh shared, “A team of three security guards is assigned the responsibility to keep the students safe for the first three months while they familiarize themselves with the campus and the people, and over 15 surveillance cameras have been set up on all the routes that will be taken by the students on their way to and from classrooms and hostels.” He also shared that the campus will soon be equipped with an AI-enabled security system, which is expected to be installed and operational in June.
The two cases in 2025
The first case occurred in January 2025, when a KGMU student residing in the hostel was found on the ground outside her hostel, having reportedly fallen from the second floor, where her personal room was. Her body was discovered by a patrolling guard at 8 am. The girl survived and was rushed to the Critical Care ward, where she was nursed back to health.
The second, recent incident, occurred in the early hours of Monday, March 24, when a 19-year-old woman undergoing chemotherapy for large intestine cancer was found near the Shatabdi building at 6 am, having apparently fallen from a height. She had arrived at the hospital at 3 am to secure an early OPD appointment. Her father alerted authorities, and she was discovered shortly after. Doctors at the Trauma Centre later declared her dead.
These two incidents have taken place in quick succession, after the institute’s efforts to make the campus safer by adding security and more provisions for doctors, following the rape and murder case in Kolkata, which caused ripples across the country, particularly in Lucknow. Resident doctors had made demands to address existing safety concerns on all medical institute campuses in August 2024. These demands included separate toilets for resident doctors, restrooms and common rooms particularly for women, heightened security during night duty hours, transportation facilities for night-shifters living off-campus, CCTV cameras in dark spots in and around the campus and a designated well-lit bus stop or waiting area near the campus.