Thiruvananthapuram: In the wake of the tragic rape and murder of a female doctor at a medical college in Kolkata, the authorities have decided on the rigorous enforcement of the Code Grey protocol to ensure the safety of doctors, healthcare workers, and patients in hospitals across the state. Health Minister Veena George, addressing a meeting convened to assess the security of healthcare facilities in the aftermath of the Kolkata incident, issued a directive for strict adherence to the protocol.

The Code Grey protocol is a comprehensive system designed to safeguard hospitals, staff, and patients. It outlines measures to be taken in advance to prevent violence, protocols for managing security threats, and guidelines for reporting and addressing incidents. The protocol also mandates providing mental and legal support to hospital staff affected by violence.

As part of this initiative, healthcare workers and security staff have already undergone specialised training, and security audits have been conducted in hospitals. If necessary, additional training will be provided to the staff. The responsibility of ensuring safety, based on the audit findings, has now been delegated to the heads of each institution.

Current situation in Medical College Hospitals

Eight months ago, a female doctor at Thiruvananthapuram Medical College Hospital was attacked after her night duty while returning to her quarters. Although the doctor’s restroom is adjacent to that of the hospital warden, providing some degree of safety, the unattended hospital and hostel premises, overgrown with vegetation, pose a significant threat to doctors and nursing staff.

The main concern in these locations is the presence of unauthorised individuals who loiter on the hospital campus, often consuming free food meant for patients and their companions, and those struggling with addiction. In the case of the attack on the female doctor, the assailant was a drug addict.

At Alappuzha Medical College, while a restroom is available for female doctors, it is located in an isolated area. The doctors frequently work in overcrowded duty rooms, exposing them to abusive behaviour and potential assaults, particularly from individuals under the influence of drugs or alcohol who visit the hospital late at night. Security personnel often hesitate to intervene, fearing for their own safety.

Idukki Medical College has a police aid post, but there are complaints about its lack of round-the-clock availability. Dr. Tomy Mappalakayil, the college principal, stated that plans are underway to deploy a Crisis Management Team, with at least two members on duty 24/7, to enhance security.

In Kottayam Medical College, female employees benefit from a dedicated security apparatus. The main entrance and other high-traffic areas are secured by the SISF under Kerala Police. Nurses and doctors have separate duty rooms with locks on the inside, and a patrolling team of five to seven members regularly monitors the premises.

Ernakulam Government Medical College faces challenges, as nurses on duty do not have designated rest areas, and security in the hostels for both the medical and nursing colleges is inadequate. The nursing college lacks a permanent security system altogether.

At Thrissur Government Medical College, security staff are on duty during night hours, and a police officer is stationed at the on-campus police aid post. The police station is also located within the hospital campus.

Manjeri Medical College is grappling with a shortage of duty rooms for doctors in the casualty division. The police aid post is often unstaffed at night, and some CCTV cameras are non-functional.

Kozhikode Medical College does have a perimeter wall, but it is incomplete. A section of the wall near the Pharmacy College was removed to create a new path, allowing unrestricted access to the Ladies Hostel. Female doctors have also raised concerns about the inadequate facilities in the lone resting room in the casualty ward.

Although side rooms are available for resting at the Medical College Hospital (MCH), this facility is absent in the newly opened PMSY block. Additionally, doctors have pointed to an incident several years ago in which a female doctor was subjected to sexual assault in one of the wards.