Supreme Court to the rescue of medical colleges

The Supreme Court has appointed a nine-member committee to formulate action plans to ensure the safety of health workers in the wake of the brutal rape and murder of a medical PG student at RG Kar Medical College in Kolkata. It was during the consideration of the suo moto case that the apex court took steps to determine the safety standards applicable to all medical colleges in the country. On the basis of this decision, the court has also demanded withdrawal of the doctors' protest strike which has been going on for two weeks across the country. A special committee has been appointed to devise comprehensive security measures with the intention of such atrocious incidents never repeating in any medical college in the country. The court should also fix a schedule for the timely implementation of the recommendations submitted by the committee.

The committee has been appointed by the Supreme Court with the opinion that although some states including Kerala have introduced special laws to prevent the constant violence against health workers, none of them are sufficient. The committee has been given three weeks to submit its interim report. There are two months time to submit the complete report. The Court criticized the Bengal government and its police system in the Kolkata incident. Even the FIR was filed only hours after the incident. The serious lapses of the police and the state government are also evident. The CBI has been put in charge of investigating the incident, which has brought doctors across the country to the streets in protest.

Workload and lack of rest are almost the same in all medical colleges of the country. Although there are many vacancies, the recruitment process is slow and the ones on duty have to work continuously for long hours. Many medical colleges are started in the country every year to increase the medical facilities but the fact is that the treatment facilities are still not enough. Many more medical colleges and thousands of doctors are needed to cope with the population.

In the light of the Kolkata incident, the health department has taken steps to tighten security arrangements in medical college hospitals in Kerala as well. No one will be allowed to enter hospitals illegally at night. It has also been decided to install CCTV in all important places. Police will also strengthen patrolling at night. Training will also be provided to security personnel. In order to ensure the safety of women employees, it has also been decided that the superiors should conduct frequent inspections in places like the duty room, inspection room and restroom. Only if this is continued as a regular system will the desired result be achieved. After a few days of starting systems, everything tends to fall apart and become the same. That should not happen. Limitations in medical colleges are the main reason for system breakdown. The government must find ways to overcome those limitations one by one.