Mumbai: All the 14 government medical colleges in the state finally submitted a complete detailed security report on Thursday to the Directorate of Medical Education and Research (DMER), after a deadline of September 3 was given to the deans of the hospitals by medical education minister Vinod Tawde. The report states the current availability of cameras, posts for security officers and additional need of CCTV cameras and security guards in each hospital. However, the civic-run hospitals from Mumbai, including KEM, Nair and Sion Hospital, have still not submitted the report to the DMER.
In a state-wide strike of the Maharashtra Association of Resident Doctors (MARD), the resident doctors had asked for CCTV cameras and strengthening of security in hospitals since the cases of assault on doctors have been increasing, especially in the past few months. Following this, the DMER had directed all the deans to submit a detailed security report by July 25. However, after a month, only two colleges — JJ and BJ medical colleges — had submitted a complete report. Following this, MARD had urged Tawde to look into the issue, following which, the minister intervened and directed the DMER to ask all the deans to give a detailed report with the correct format and requirements of CCTV cameras, security officers and walkie-talkies.
Dr Sagar Mundada, the MARD president, said, “After a long wait of nearly two months, all the 14 state medical colleges have submitted the reports. However, we do not know why the civic-run hospitals have not submitted their reports. The security of doctors has become a huge issue at the moment as we have been living under a constant threat.”
