Attack On Doctors: Kerala CM Directs appointment of ex-army personnel for security of hospitals

“Casualties and OP (outpatient) areas of hospitals should be installed with CCTVs. In those hospitals with police aid posts, the CCTVs should be connected to the aid posts. The new appointments to the posts of security guards in hospitals should be ex-army personnel,” Kerala CM said in a press release. 

Thiruvananthapuram: A day after the Kerala Government Medical Officers’ Association (KGMOA) petitioned the State government to increase security at hospitals, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Monday directed the authorities concerned to set up security cameras. 

At a high-level meeting called for by him to discuss the attacks against the doctors, Vijayan said stern action would be taken in such incidents. “Casualties and OP (outpatient) areas of hospitals should be installed with CCTVs. In those hospitals with police aid posts, the CCTVs should be connected to the aid posts. The new appointments to the posts of security guards in hospitals should be ex-army personnel,” he said in a press release. 

The meeting was attended by State Health Minister Veena George, Chief Secretary V P Joy, police chief Anil Kanth and Health Secretary Rajan Khobragade. On Sunday, the KGMOA petitioned the Chief Minister to increase the security at hospitals and submitted a list of suggestions in that regard. 

The issue of security for doctors at hospitals came up after two people allegedly attacked a duty doctor and a security guard of the Fort Taluk Hospital on Thursday. The two, arrested the next day, were accused of refusing to wait for their turn to get treated for wounds inflicted in a drunken brawl, and assaulted the doctor and the guard.