Develop policy for safe work environment in campuses: National Medical Commission to medical colleges

New Delhi, August 13

The National Medical Commission (NMC) has issued an advisory for all medical colleges and institutions, urging them to develop a policy for a safe work environment within the college and hospital campuses for all the staff members, including faculty, students and resident doctors.

The advisory comes in the wake of an alleged rape and killing of a trainee doctor at a government hospital in Kolkata and resident doctors in several hospitals across the country going on strike in protest against the incident.

Incidents of violence against doctors in medical colleges have been reported in the recent past, the advisory said.

“All medical colleges are requested to develop a policy for a safe work environment within the college and hospital campus for all the staff members including faculty, medical students and resident doctors,” NMC said in the advisory.

The policy should ensure adequate safety measures at OPD, wards, casualty, hostels and other open areas in the campuses and residential quarters, it added.

The campuses, including the corridors, should be well lit in the evening for the staff to walk safely from one place to other and all sensitive areas should be covered by CCTV for monitoring, the advisory said.

Security measures, including posting adequate security staff (male and female), should be made available at the OPD, wards, casualty, labour rooms, hostels, residential quarters and other open areas in the medical college and hospital campuses, it added.

The advisory said any incident of violence against medical students should be promptly investigated by the college management and an FIR should be lodged with police.

“A detailed action-taken report on any incident of violence should invariably be sent to the National Medical Commission within 48 hours of the incident,” the advisory said.