Bhubaneshwar: The Odisha government issued a comprehensive guidelines to ensure a safe workplace environment for doctors, students and healthcare persons in healthcare and health education institutions across the State. The said guidelines has been notified by the Odisha government with immediate effect.
As per the guidelines all health institutions should have a perimeter boundary wall with defined entry and exit gates. The entry of the general public and vehicles is to be regulated to stop the use of health institution premises for thoroughfare. All employees / workers of the health institution should be provided with an lD 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 be 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 patient only during visiting hours to be decided by the Medical Superintendent. Visiting hours must be mentioned on the visiting card issued to the attendants and also on the prominent sites in the Hospital/Medical College.
Security guards will 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 unauthorised vehicles and vendors. If required, security hubs may be set up near high-case load departments in the hospital. The telephone numbers of these hubs will be available through the display of signage. Well-lit secure parking areas, sufficient street lighting in the campus and provision of escort services or safe transportation options for night shifts for women doctors/employees/students will be made.
CCTV cameras will be installed at strategic locations of the hospitals for monitoring of the activities in the hospital. CCTVs should be installed outside all hostels’ main gate, roads, roundabouts, stairwells, and other strategic points on campus and on each floor of the hostel. A control room will be available for security personnel 24×7 to keep watch on CCTV footage regularly, which must have at least three months of storage recording backup. 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 the law into their own hands. The designated phone number should be displayed in conspicuous places on the campus.
All health institutions will maintain a close liaison with the llC/SHO/Officer-In-Charge of the nearest police station. In all Government Medical College Hospitals, a police outpost will be established within the premises of the institution. At least one female police staff will be available on duty at all times. Regular safety audits should be conducted to identify and address the potential security risks. Availability of doctor’s duty rooms and washrooms for male and female doctors and nurses in all wards shall be ensured. A clear emergency response plan will be developed for all institutions, which may include panic buttons, emergency phones, and mobile apps to respond quickly to any threat and in emergency situations. A specific phone number will be set up in the main security control room to report any emergency or security issue at any time.
Institutions will foster a respectful workplace culture, addressing harassment, bullying or discrimination, and promoting a culture of inclusivity and respect. There must be zero tolerance for any harassment or bullying. Prominent signage will be displayed on the campus stating that patients’ attendants & family must behave in respectful manner to all the medical and supporting staff and strict action will be taken against the offenders 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 Properly) Act, 2008 should be placed in front of the health institutions.
The health institution will provide orientation and training on respectful workplace culture, hospital safety policies, provisions for emergency situations, respectful communication, punctuality and transparency, to all healthcare workers, students and security personnel. The health institutions should take steps to offer support services, including counselling, women’s self-defence training programs, and peer support groups to address workplace stress or trauma. The health institution will establish a clear incident reporting process’ ensuring confidentiality and prompt action on reported incidents. Any incident of violence against medical students should be promptly investigated by the college management and an FIR should be lodged with the Police within six hours by the Head of the Institution. A detailed action-taken report of 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 the concerned district shall take immediate and appropriate action as per law against miscreants in order to discourage people from such activities. An Institutional Monitoring Committee will be constituted to undertake monthly review of the measures. The committee will be chaired by the head of the institution and have representatives of doctors/faculty, paramedics, students and other relevant groups.