Kolkata, Oct 24 (IANS) The Association of Health Service Doctors, a leading doctors’ body in West Bengal has issued an appeal to Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, who is also incharge of the state health and family welfare department as a minister, to initiate creation of a dedicated “hospital security force” in the state on the lines of the Railway Protection Force (RPF).

The suggestion from the doctors’ body comes amid repeated assaults on doctors and medical staff at different health establishments in the state in the recent past.

According to a communique from the association to the Chief Minister, all the medical establishments in the state, both in public and private sectors, would be under the jurisdiction of the dedicated cadre of “hospital security force”.

At the same time, the association added, the existing police outposts in the hospitals should be reinforced with personnel from the state armed police force and not by contractual civic volunteers.

The association has suggested that the officers incharge of the security personnel at the hospital should make the rounds three times a day to ensure that the security arrangements at the medical establishments are in order.

The association has also called for the formation of a three member rapid response force in every district to address security issues at medical establishments in the state quickly.

As per their proposal, in case of any assault on doctors and medical staff of any hospital, the members of the rapid action force should visit the institution and meet the assaulted caregivers within 24 hours of the reported incident.

“The team, in robust liaison with the local administration, has to officially ensure that the immediate prescribed action takes place and also see that the local PS does not minimally deviate from their mandatory task in this regard,” the letter from the association to the Chief Minister said.

The other demands of the association include immediate filling up of vacancies of doctors and support staff at every tier, scientific review of the establishment’s table (roster) to cope with the escalating loads of expanding services, and instruction of a smooth referral mechanism, among others.

–IANS

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