The Telangana Teaching Government Doctors Association (TTGDA) has asked the National Task Force, which was created by the Supreme Court, to recommend important safety measures for healthcare professionals, especially women. They suggested having security available at all times and deploying She Teams to protect female healthcare workers.
On Sunday, TTGDA gave a written request to the National Task Force. The request included ideas on how to improve infrastructure, human resources, security, and administration in hospitals. For infrastructure, the doctors suggested adding basic facilities in work areas, providing transport for women during night shifts, reducing duty hours to 12 hours, and separating outpatient (OP) and inpatient (IP) departments.
TTGDA General Secretary, Dr. Kiran Madhala, also shared additional security suggestions. These included installing the Hawk Eye App on mobile phones and having a centralized alarm system in hospitals. They also recommended 24/7 security with enough staff in major hospitals, creating a crisis management team, and setting aside a budget for security, possibly using Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) funds.
The doctors also suggested regular security checks and training, setting up a separate cell to handle harassment cases, and including representatives from different groups such as junior doctors and women doctors. They proposed posting regular police officers in important hospital areas, attaching hospitals to the nearest police stations for extra security, and having night patrols by local police.
Regarding hospital administration, the doctors suggested making it stronger, requiring night rounds by authorities, and involving all groups, like students and paramedics, in decision-making. They also recommended making anti-ragging rules known to everyone and offering self-defense classes for doctors.
Lastly, the doctors proposed that public hospitals should be allowed to refuse patients if there are no available beds, similar to the policy at AIIMS. They also suggested that politicians, media, and others should only be allowed entry with prior permission from hospital authorities.
