New Delhi: Doctors protest against the sexual assault and murder of a junior doctor in Kolkata, New Delhi, Monday, August 12, 2024. (Photo: PTI)
The All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in New Delhi on Wednesday appealed to striking resident doctors to return to work and said a collaborative internal safety audit will be conducted to assess safety and security measures within the campus.
The Aiims appeal comes amid nationwide protests by resident doctors over the rape and murder of a 31-year-old female resident doctor at the RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata. The protests at Aiims began on August 11 and brought all non-urgent outpatient and elective services to a standstill.
The protesting doctors also demanded a central protection law for health workers, along with a proper investigation into the Kolkata rape-murder.
Expressing the administration’s support for the situation in an appeal document, Dr M Srinivas, Director, Aiims New Delhi, said the entire Aiims family stands behind the cause of safety of all healthcare professionals at the premier hospital and across the country.
“However, as physicians, it is also our supreme duty to ensure that patients who visit our portals are not left unattended,” he added.
The institute added that the administration has constituted two committees to look into the safety issues at the institute and other concerns of the doctors. The first committee will be chaired by the dean (academic) of Aiims and will deal with the immediate concerns of the healthcare professionals.
A second 15-member committee will conduct internal safety audits at Aiims and its extension campuses with respect to the safety of healthcare professionals, staff, patients and visitors.
The committee will be headed by Dr Puneet Kaur, head of the department of biophysics. It will have representation from the Faculty Association of All India Institute of Medical Sciences (FAiims), Resident Doctors Association of Aiims (RDA), Students’ Union, Nurses’ Union, Karamchari Union and Young Scientists Society, among others.
The committee will visit all areas of the Aiims campus, including its extension campuses like the National Cancer Institute (NCI), Jhajjar, the National Drug Dependency Treatment Centre (NDDTC), Ghaziabad, and the Comprehensive Rural Health Services Project (CRHSP), Ballabgarh, to inspect the safety measures there.
“The committee is requested to deliberate in detail on any additional security measures required on Aiims campuses and submit its recommendations to the undersigned at the earliest for expeditious implementation,” the Aiims letter said.
In addition to the security audit, Aiims management also decided to install AI-enabled CCTV cameras at key entry and exit points of its mother and child block on a pilot basis.
“These cameras shall be capable of recognizing all visitors using facial recognition technology and shall assist security personnel in identifying persons who frequently enter and exit, thereby helping them to control access by unauthorized personnel,” an order from the institute states.
Other measures Aiims is considering include special measures against theft of patients by unauthorized persons and controlled and verified access for people on campus.
First published: August 21, 2024 | 6:40 pm IS
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