Odisha Govt Issues Guidelines To Prevent Law & Order Situation In Health Institutions

Bhubaneswar: Odisha government’s Health & Family Welfare (H&FW) Department has issued a set of guidelines to prevent law and order situation in health institutions in view of incidents of violence, harassment, and physical assault on doctors and health officials on duty being reported from different parts of the State.

Commissioner-cum-Secretary H&FW Department Shalini Pandit has written a letter to all Collectors; Superintendents of Police; Director of Capital Hospital, Bhubaneswar; Director of RGH, Rourkela; and all CDM & PHOs in this connection.

“The government has “zero tolerance” towards violence against doctors. Hence it is required to take exemplary action against the miscreants,” the letter read.

The letter said that in view of the increasing untoward situations in the premises of Health Institutions like manhandling of Doctors and staff of the institutions the following steps are to be strictly adhered to:

1. CCTV cameras are to be installed at vital locations of the hospitals for monitoring of the activities in the hospital.
2. Visitors pass is to be introduced for the indoor patients Two entry passes are to be issued per patient for attending the patient during the official visiting hour and the attendants entering the ward should be frisked out by the internal security guards.
3. All the regular and contractual employees of the Hospital should be provided with an ID card.
4. The entry of the general public and vehicles is to be regulated strictly to stop the thoroughfare
5. Signage highlighting The Odisha Medicare Service Persons and Medicare Service Institutions (Prevention of Violence and Damage of Property) Act, 2008 should be placed in front of the health institutions
6. Internal security should patrol in the campus and take steps for removal of unauthorized vehicles and vendors.
7. Two security hubs may be deployed to the crowded Departments of the DHH the telephone number of the two hubs may be made available through the display of signage.
8. A public redressal system is to be developed in which the aggrieved attendants may approach the Superintendent/ Head of Office of Health Institutions at the time of need rather than taking the law into their hands. The same along with the phone number may be displayed in conspicuous places of the campus of the Health Institutions.
9. The Superintendents of Police of concerned Districts shall take immediate strict & appropriate action as per Law against the miscreants in order to discourage people from such activities.