Worried about the escalating incidents of violence against on-duty medical staff, the Lok Nayak Jaya Prakash (LNJP) Hospital administration has finally stepped in to take concrete measures to ensure that the trend is arrested immediately.
“The idea is to create an environment of understanding on why delays happen at the hospital, introduce decorum and also tell people about the high-pressure job of the medical staff,” said LNJP Medical Superintendent Siddarth Ramji.
He added that the open-door policy of the government hospitals and the heavy patient load also contribute to the adverse work environment for staff. “There isn’t enough staff to cater to the patients coming to our hospital. Besides, the large number of local residents, we also cater to patients coming from neighbouring States, who constitute about 30 per cent of our load. When patients come here, they are mostly in distress and are seeking immediate relief. Conflict occurs when we are unable to immediately respond and provide relief due to a variety of reasons,’’ he said.
As per the new plan, the LNJP Hospital has requested the local leaders to talk to residents in their constituencies and also deployed Delhi Police units at the hospital. “We have also identified wards and units where incidents of violence and manhandling of medical staff are maximum and introduced round-the-clock monitoring. Over a hundred CCTVs have been installed across the hospital premises to capture and place on-record incidents of violence and to ensure accountability and punishment. Two police control rooms are operational in the casualty and out-patient departments,’’ explained Dr. Ramji.
He added that the security situation is reviewed periodically.
