West Bengal to recruit 12,000 police officers to enhance security at government hospitals

Senior advocate Kapil Sibal had stressed that these measures were only temporary until regular police officers could be deployed.

West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee has said the state will recruit 12,000 police personnel, some of whom will be deployed at government hospitals, as she seeks to address security concerns following the rape and murder of a trainee doctor at Kolkata’s RG Kar Medical College.

The recruitment process will begin on September 30 following a meeting with heads of medical colleges and hospitals, Banerjee, who has come under fire over her government’s alleged mishandling of the case and doctors’ protests, said on September 26.

"I cannot immediately provide policemen at all places but we will provide it soon. We will recruit 12,000 cops, and the recruitment will be cleared by Monday. I have asked for the process to be expedited so that the new recruits can be posted after a short training period of three to six months," Banerjee said.

The statement comes as the Supreme Court, which is hearing the RG Kar hospital case, has raised concerns about her government’s plan for improving security for hospitals.

The Supreme Court raised concerns that Bengal's plan to recruit 1,514 privately trained security guards for government hospitals might not be enough to ensure safety for medical staff, especially as a civic volunteer has been arrested for the rape and murder of the 31-year-old doctor.

Appearing for the state, senior advocate Kapil Sibal had said the measures were temporary until regular police officers could be deployed.

The state government has appointed six retired police officers as security advisers for six hospitals, including Calcutta National Medical College and IPGMER, under the Rattirer Sathi scheme.

West Bengal’s Director General of Police (DGP) Rajeev Kumar, along with former DGP Surajit Kar Purkayasthya, will oversee the Rattirer Sathi app and security measures at all medical colleges and hospitals, which will also include security for women hostels.

Banerjee has urged principals to implement biometric-enabled access for non-medical personnel, including construction workers and security staff.

The chief minister has said MLAs will no longer chair Rogi Kalyan Samitis at government hospitals. "All Rogi Kalyan Samitis have been dissolved. The newly formed ones will be headed by the principals of respective medical colleges and will include MSVPs, junior doctors, senior doctors, nurses, and public representatives as members," she said.