The government will set up a committee under the Secretary, Medical Education, to study the workplace and work-related issues raised by house surgeons and postgraduate medical students. The committee will submit its report within a month, Health Minister Veena George said here on Friday.
Ms. George announced this after holding talks with the house surgeons and PG medicos, who had refused to call off their strike on Thursday demanding that the Health Minister give them a patient hearing and that they needed more than mere promises about their workplace.
The Minister also promised to bring out a Standard Operating Procedure for the posting of young doctors in public hospitals as part of the medical residency programme.
Another assurance given to the medicos by the Minister was that the Residency Manual will be strictly implemented and that the respective heads of departments will ensure that the medicos are not denied their rightful weekly off. The Director of Medical Education will soon issue a circular regarding the proper implementation of the Residency Manual.
Safety audits
Safety audits will be conducted in all hospitals in a time-bound manner and police outposts will be established in all main hospitals. CCTV cameras will be installed in all hospitals and the feed linked to police outposts, it had been decided at the meeting chaired by the Chief Minister on Thursday.
The statement issued by Ms. George after the discussions with medicos said that officials had been directed to implement all decisions arrived at during discussions with PG medicos on earlier occasions. It said that the DME had been tasked with the responsibility of examining hostel facilities in each healthcare institution before posting medicos. Ms. George added that the proposal for a timely revision of medicos’ stipend was under the consideration of the government.
Only one companion
Ms. George reiterated that all measures, including the setting up of public address systems, reducing crowding in hospitals, and emergency alarm system, will be implemented strictly. Briefing rooms will be arranged in hospitals where patients’ updates will be given out. Only one companion will be allowed for a patient inside wards and two companions in casualty wings. The phone number of the Chief Security Officer will be given to all hospital staff.
She also said that steps will be taken for improving the mental health of students and that creche facility will be arranged in all medical colleges through the Women and Children Development department.
The Secretary (Medical Education), Director of Medical Education, Principals, and superintendents of all medical colleges were present during the discussions.
