500 home guards to watch over 18 hospitals

The cases of violence on junior and senior residents were reported from state government-run Lal Bahadur Shastri Hospital, Babu Jagjivan Ram Hospital, Sanjay Gandhi Hospital, Maharshi Valmiki Hospital, and Bhagwan Mahavir Hospital, and the central government-run Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital.

A total of 105 home guards will be deployed at Lok Nayak and GB Pant Hospital, 75 at Guru Teg Bahadur Hospital, 50 at Baba Saheb Ambedkar Hospital, 45 at Deen Dayal Upadhyay Hospital and 30 each at Babu Jagjivan Ram Hospital, Bhagwan Mahavir Hospital and Sanjay Gandhi Hospital.

According to the Delhi government, 1,000 more home guards will be deployed in a later phase in the rest of the hospitals.

Delhi Health Minister Satyendra Jain on Friday urged Lieutenant Governor Najeeb Jung and Delhi Police to ensure the safety of doctors in hospitals in the national Capital. The appeal from Jain follows two incidents of violence against doctors in two hospitals here.

“I condemn such incidents of violence in the presence of the police personnel. I have written to both Lieutenant Governor and the Delhi Police chief this morning requesting them to ensure safety and security of the doctors. I have also asked the commissioner to conduct an enquiry into the two incidents of violence which were brought to my notice,” Jain said. 

Meanwhile, Federation of Resident Doctors’ Association (<g data-gr-id="26">FORDA</g>), an association of around 15,000 resident doctors in Delhi on Friday expressed it’s satisfaction on measures taken by the Delhi government but warned another strike if the Central government will not accept its demands by July 9.

“Delhi government has assured us to deploy around 500 home guards in its hospitals to ensure <g data-gr-id="31">security</g> of resident doctors and other measures are also being taken. We had a meeting on Friday and it was decided that Central government be given time till July 9 to initiate talks or accept the demands,” said Pankaj Solanki, president <g data-gr-id="28">FORDA</g>.