BHUBANESWAR: To ensure a safe workplace environment for doctors, students and all medicare persons, Odisha govt on Wednesday issued policy guidelines for the healthcare and health education institutions. It was a major demand of medical students, trainees and resident doctors during their protest demanding justice to a trainee doctor, who was raped and murdered at a medical college in Kolkata last month.
The three-page guidelines have eight points with several sub-points. According to the guidelines, all health institutions should have a perimeter boundary wall with defined entry and exit gates. The entry of the general public and vehicles is to be regulated to stop use of health institution premises for thoroughfare.
All employees/workers of the health institution should be provided ID cards. Dress codes where applicable, should be strictly followed. Visitors’ pass system will be followed for indoor patients. Only two entry passes will be issued per patient for attending the patient during official visiting hours and the attendants entering the ward should be frisked by the internal security guards to check for possession of any dangerous/objectionable items.
As per the new policy, attendants should wait in a designated waiting area outside the ward. They should be allowed to meet the patient only during visiting hours to be decided by the medical superintendent.
Regarding security arrangements, the guidelines stated that security guards must be posted in all OPDs and 24×7 outside wards. As far as possible, both male and female security guards must be posted. The security guards should patrol the campus and take steps for removal of unauthorized vehicles and vendors.
If required, security hubs may be set up near high case load departments in the hospital. The telephone number of these hubs may be made available through the display of signage. CCTV cameras must be installed at strategic locations of the hospitals for monitoring of the activities in the hospital. CCTVs should be installed outside all hostels, main gate, roads, roundabouts, stairwells, other strategic points on campus and on each floor of the hostel.
A control room must be available for security persons 24×7 to keep watch on CCTV footage regularly, which must have at least three months storage recording backup. Besides, proper lighting in the campuses, close relations with local police stations, opening of outposts inside the govt medical colleges and regular safety audits should be arranged for safety of hospitals and its students and staff.
The policy talked about availability of duty room and rest room for doctors and staff, emergency response plan, respectful workplace culture, support services, incident reporting and forming of institutional monitoring committee.