Odisha issue guidelines for doctors’ safety, security guards to be posted in OPDs and medical colleges to have police outposts; Check details
Bhubaneswar: Odisha government has come-up with a set of guidelines in order to ensure a safe workplace environment for doctors, students and all medicare persons across the State.
The Health and Family Welfare Department today issued the following guidelines for the healthcare and health education institutions:
Access Control:
- All health institutions should have a perimeter boundary wall with defined entry and exist 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 with an ID card, Dress codes where applicable, should be strictly followed.
- Visitors pass system is to be followed for indoor patients. Only two entry passes are to be4 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.
- Attendants should wait in a designated waiting area outside the ward. They should be allowed to meet the patients only during vising hours to be decided by the medical superintendent. Visiting hours must be mentioned on the visiting card issue to be attendants and also on the prominent sites in the hospital/medical college.
Security arrangement:
- 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 in the campus and take steps for removal of unauthorized vehicles and vendors.
- If required, security hubs may be set up near high case load department in the hospital. The telephone number of these hubs may be made available through the display of signage.
- CCTV cameras are to be installed at strategic locations of the hospitals for monitoring of the activities in the hospital. CCTVs should be installed outside all hostels, main gates, roads, round abouts, stairwells, other strategic points on campus and on each floor of the hostel.
- A control must be available for security personnel 24×7 to keep watch on CCTV footage regularly, which must have at least 3 months storage according backup.
- Well-lit secure parking areas, sufficient street lighting in the campus and provision of sector services or safe transportation options for night shifts for women doctors/ employees/ students should be made.
- A public redressal system is to be developed through which aggrieved attendants may approach the Superintendent or Head of the institution at the time of need, instead of taking law into their own hands. The designated phone number should be displayed in conspicuous places on the campus.
- All health institutions should maintain a close liaison with the IIC/SHO/Officer-in-charge of the nearest police station.
- In all government medial college hospital, a police outpost may be established within the premises of the institution. At least one female police staff must be available on duty at all times.
- Regular safety audits should be conducted to identify and address the potential security risks.
Availability of duty room and rest rooms for doctors and staff:
- Availability of doctor’s duty room and washroom for male and female doctors and nurses in all wards shall be ensured.
Emergency Response Plan:
- A clear emergency response plan should be developed for all institutions, which may include panic buttons, emergency phones, mobile apps etc. to respond quickly to any threat and in emergency situations. A specific phone number can be set-up in the main security control room to report any emergency or security issue at any time.
Respectful Workplace Culture:
- Institutions should foster a respectful workplace culture, addressing harassment, bulling or discrimination, and promoting a culture of inclusivity and respect. There must be zero tolerance for any harassment or bullying.
- Prominent signage must be displayed in the campus stating that patient’s attendants & family must behave in respectful manner to all the4 medical and supporting staff and strict action would be taken against the offender5s as per relevant provisions of law.
- Signage highlighting the penal provisions under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and 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.
Support Services:
- The Health Institution should provide orientation and training on respectful workplace culture, hospital safety policies, provisions for emergency situations, respectful communication, punctuality and transparency, to all medicare workers, students and security personnel.
- The health institutions should take steps to offer supports services, including concelling, women’s self-defence training programs, and peer support groups to address workplace stress or trauma.
Incident Reporting:
- The health institution should establish a clear incident reporting process, ensuring confidentially and prompt action on reported incidents.
- Any incident of violence against medical students should be promptly investigated by the college management and FIR should be lodged with the police with six hours by the head of the institution.
- A detailed action taken report on any incident of violence should invariably be sent to the National Medical Commission (NMC), within 48 hours of the incident.
- The superintendent of police of concerned district shall take immediate and appropriate action as per law against miscreants in order to discourage people from such activities.
Institutional Monitoring Committee:
- An Institutional Monitoring Committee should be constituted to undertake monthly review of all the above measures and take follow up actions thereon. The committee should be chaired by the head of the institution and should have representatives of doctors/ faculty/ paramedics/ students and other relevant groups.