Patients get 5-6 visitors at a time: Mumbai doctors raise concerns after attacks on medicos

A protest at Shivaji Park demanding justice for the Kolkata doctor who was raped and murdered. Pic/Anurag Ahire

Director of BMC medical education and major hospitals Dr Neelam Andrade held a meeting on Saturday with security officers and deans of the civic-run hospitals where it was decided that delivery persons will not be allowed in medical hostels and in the hospital. There will also be restrictions on visitors and the security arrangements in the hospitals will be strengthened.

Nurses working in a civic-run hospital said there is an urgent need for crowd control and to restrict entry. "Sometimes we notice there are five to six visitors for a single patient at a time," a source said. According to the sources, it was also decided at the meeting to find out lapses in crowd control and increase security where needed. Speaking about the meeting, Dr Andrade said, "We have decided to not allow delivery people in the hospital. People can take parcels from the gate of the hospital. This rule will be strictly followed in every civic-run hospital."

According to Dr Andrade, it was decided to strengthen security and also put restrictions on visitors to control the crowd. "We have a visitor pass system but it will be strictly followed now, with only two or three visitors allowed. We will also restrict visits to pre-decided visiting hours," Dr Andrade said, adding that security personnel, doctors and other staff have been informed about these changes.

There was also a bell system in the past in every ward. If there was a crowd, the on-duty hospital security personnel would ring the bell, asking visitors to clear out. This system will now be strictly implemented. The decision to tighten security was taken after the rape and murder of a doctor in Kolkata.