Assault on doctors: Pinarayi Vijayan warns of strong action

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The state government will ensure that strong action will be taken against those who are engaging in assaulting the doctors, chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan said, after a high-level meeting here on Monday to discuss the matter in the wake of repeated incidents of assault.
He said that the government is duty-bound to ensure all facilities for the doctors to discharge their duties. He instructed all those concerned to ensure that there is CCTV surveillance in the out-patient department and casualties. This should be ensured in both private hospitals as well. In hospitals where there are police aid posts, the CCTV system should be linked to such aid-posts.
While appointing security officers in out-patient and casualties, retired ex-military personnel should be employed. This does not mean that those who are serving at present should be removed. He instructed that the trouble makers should be arrested immediately in such incidents. In large hospitals like the medical colleges, the services of state industrial security force (SISF) should be utilized. This should be enforced when the contract with the existing security agencies gets over. He said that the security personnel should also be given adequate training.
The meeting was attended by health minister Veena George, chief secretary V P Joy, additional chief secretary (home and vigilance) T K Jose, state police chief Anil Kant, principal secretary (health and family welfare) Rajan Khobragade, ADGP (intelligence) T K Vinod Kumar and ADGP (law and order) Vijay Sakhare. The meeting was convened in the wake of repeated incidents of physical assault on doctors, the latest incident report from government Fort Hospital in the capital.