How does one treat in fear? Doctors urge Health Minister to reinstate marshals in hospitals

Representative Image (Image: Reuters)

The Union Health Ministry's directive to all Centre-run hospitals in the National Capital to suspend the services of marshals and bouncers has irked healthcare workers employed at these hospitals.

The doctors, while opposing the move to curtail the services of marshals, have appealed to the Union Health Minister to augment the existing security for healthcare workers in hospitals before taking such decisions.

“The step of removing the marshals from public hospitals having various vulnerable and sensitive areas like Emergency Rooms, ICUs and labour rooms is like giving an invitation to mis-happenings in hospitals,” Anuj Aggarwal, General Secretary, Resident Doctors Association, Safdarjung Hospital, told MoneyControl.

Aggarwal said the presence of marshals in hospitals serve as a deterrent to any potential act of violence, and helps resident doctors avoid waste of time in the management of huge crowds at emergencies.

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On November 1, the Lady Hardinge Medical College and its associated hospital withdrew the services of marshals/bouncers with immediate effect following instructions from Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya.

According to the letter written by Deputy Director Dr VK Sharma, Lady Hardinge Medical College and SMT S K Hospital, have effected the "withdrawal of services of Marshal /Bouncer in LMC and associated hospital with immediate effect".

Premrose, President, Delhi Nursing Union, said the government should reconsider the move, as both nurses and resident doctors will be helpless without the deployment of marshals, while dealing with large number of patients and their relatives.

“We have seen situations where relatives of patients start beating doctors or nurses because they don’t understand the situation at the operation theatre. The presence of marshals makes us feel secure. Why do our political leaders have security protocols? It’s important to understand the ground reality,” she added.

Security boosts confidence 

Stressing on the role of security for treating patients in overcrowded settings with minimal supply of essential equipment and personnel, Dr Rajeev Jayadevan, former president, Kochi chapter of the Indian Medical Association (IMA), said the Ministry of Health must work on enhancing the security apparatus in hospitals before taking such steps.

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“There are several provisions which need to be looked upon for providing security to healthcare workers before taking such a step. A doctor has to be confident to treat his patient. If he is not in the right frame of mind, he would be doing more harm than good. The government should look into all the aspects of violence against healthcare workers before reaching a conclusion,” he added.

The doctors working at the Centre-led Ram Manohar Lohia (RML) Hospital said that enhanced security protocol on the premises adds to confidence of doctors to treat patients.

Dr Sarvesh Pandey, General Secretary, Federation of Resident Doctors Association (FORDA), has urged the Health Minister to take necessary measures for reinstating the marshals and bouncers in hospitals.

“The recent notification regarding withdrawal of marshals/bouncers has led to apprehensions among resident doctors, who are putting in their best efforts towards patient care. If a doctor is not confident about his own security, how can he treat the patient?” Pandey asked.

Govt defends move

A Health Ministry official, on condition of anonymity, defended the move, saying the Centre has proactively worked to provide an effective sense of security among the doctors on duty.

“The Ministry of Health & Family Welfare has also issued an advisory to all States/UTs to consider immediate measures like installation of CCTV cameras and round-the-clock Quick Reaction Teams with effective communication and security gadgets, particularly at Casualty, Emergency and areas having high footfalls, along with well-equipped centralised control room for monitoring and quick response,” the official added.

When asked if the Centre has any data of attacks on healthcare workers and if the trend was on the decline after implementing the above-mentioned measures, the official said that the number of instances of attacks on doctors and healthcare professionals in the country is not maintained centrally.