Delhi hospitals advised to maintain registry of incidents of violence against healthcare workers

Following the horrific murder-rape of a female doctor at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata, West Bengal, on August 9, the Directorate General of Health Services, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India has come out with an office order dated today, Wednesday, August 14.

Titled 'Advisory to Central Government Hospitals Delhi on Safe Environment', it said that it has noted that violence against medical staff members is on the rise in government hospitals. Several medical workers suffer from physical violence at one point in their life or the other, it said, even more are threatened with verbal violence or are exposed to it.

Thus, it said that, "It is important that proactive measures be taken to prevent Violence against Healthcare Professionals / Staff." The office order went on to list two points which are:

1) "Central Govt Hospitals are advised to maintain a registry of all such incidents."

2) "Any such incident must be immediately brought to the notice of the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare through the Directorate General of Health Services."

This has been addressed to officials at Safdarjung Hospital, Dr RML Hospital, Lady Hardinge Medical College and Rural Health Training Centre.