New Delhi: The National Human Rights Commission issued notices to the Union health ministry, the Delhi government and the city’s police commissioner in connection with the incident of a patient being shot dead inside GTB Hospital. The NHRC while taking suo-motu cognisance of the media report of the Shoot-out observed that apart from the medical treatment of the patients, their safety is also a crucial aspect to be looked into by the administration of the government hospitals.
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The NHRC citing media reports said that according to the media anyone can enter the hospital wards without any restrictions. Also as per the reports the security guards do not pay any attention towards the safety and security of patients. The NHRC quoted the media report “Those coming inside the hospital to meet patients are never checked by the security staff. There is no provision of equipment like metal detectors, bag scanners in the government hospitals in Delhi.” It reflects that the security arrangements in the government hospitals is very poor. The media report added “Usually, attendants of patients are issued special attendant or visitor cards by hospitals to restrict entry of unwanted visitors in hospital wards, but the system of issuing visitor cards to the attendants of the patients is not functional in most of the government hospitals in Delhi.” NHRC statement further added quoting the media reports that no such cards are being issued to attendants by the GTB Hospital authorities. The guards on duty would “allow visitors without any enquiry” and the recent incident of violence at the GTB Hospital in the national capital was “not an isolated case”.
The Commission observed that the content of the media report, if true, raises serious issues of lack of safety and security in the government hospitals in Delhi. NHRC further said that there is an immediate need for government hospitals to strengthen safety and security arrangements.
Accordingly, the Commission has issued notices to the Secretary, Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare and the Chief Secretary of Delhi as well as the city’s Police Commissioner seeking a detailed report within four weeks, the statement said. They are expected to mention in detail the steps taken or steps to be taken to address the issue of security in the hospitals, it said. The Commission also said that the agencies being the administrators of the government hospitals are duty-bound to ensure that incidents of violence and loss of human lives due to such issues do not recur inside the hospitals.