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Lucknow medicos raise alarm over campus safety amid delayed reforms

By, Lucknow
Jan 22, 2025 05:32 AM IST

A glaring example of this negligence is the absence of security cameras around the resident doctors’ hostel at King George’s Medical University.

In response to the demands of protesting medicos after the brutal rape and murder of a resident doctor in Kolkata last August, medical institutes in the capital have started installing new toilets and improving night transport services for resident doctors. However, six months on, many critical safety measures remain unaddressed, despite ongoing protests and calls for action.

Many critical safety measures remain unaddressed, despite ongoing protests and calls for action. (For representation only)
Many critical safety measures remain unaddressed, despite ongoing protests and calls for action. (For representation only)

A glaring example of this negligence is the absence of security cameras around the resident doctors’ hostel at King George’s Medical University. Last week, a first-year female resident attempted suicide by jumping from the second floor of the hostel building in the middle of the night. She was spotted only in the morning by a campus guard. She survived the fall but required major orthopedic surgery and had to be put on ventilator support for two days.

In their list of demands addressed to the Secretary of the Health Ministry, the Director General of Police (DGP), and principals of all medical institutions, the UP Resident Doctors’ Association (UPRDA) outlined, first and foremost, the need for CCTV cameras across the institutes, especially outside women’s restrooms and living accommodations. Safety-related demands in the letter included: “Implement regular safety audits, install CCTVs in hospitals, and establish separate duty rooms and sanitary facilities for doctors,” and, “Deploy additional security personnel and establish safety committees with clear and enforceable protocols.”

While restroom construction in King George’s Medical College is only now reaching completion, no significant measures to construct washrooms and duty rooms for doctors have been made at other institutions. “Only about 20% of the campus is left to be furnished with washrooms and toilets—close to 200 have already been completed,” said KGMU spokesperson Dr Sudhir Singh.

Dr Praveen, president of the UPRDA, said, “Yes, some measures have been taken, but they are not consistent or enough.” Elaborating further, he explained that while security personnel were added in hospitals immediately after the protest, those efforts have not persisted, and authorities are taking their own time meeting the demands.

Students of RMLIMS reported that hostellers with late shifts at the main campus have been provided a Volvo bus to return home. “The bus helps us since the hostel facility is quite a distance away from the campus,” said a first-year resident at RMLIMS. Dr Vinay, an office-bearer of the UPRDA, opined that as long as the process of installing safety measures does not stall entirely, the students can tolerate the slow speed. “But the progress should not stop completely,” he added.

While most government medical institutes are ensuring that residents do not work beyond the National Medical Council (NMC) regulated 8-hour shifts, students emphasize the critical need for enhanced CCTV surveillance, dedicated safety committees, and grievance cells for situations where students feel threatened. “Equally important is the protection of doctors and healthcare professionals against any act of violence, as well as the immediate registration of FIRs,” Dr Praveen said.

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