Bhubaneswar: State Health and Family Welfare Minister Naba Kisore Das Sunday said that the ministry has measures in place to safeguard working doctors well before the intervention of the Union government and after the recent national strike by doctors.
When the minister was asked about the direction the health ministry has taken in the state to ensure doctors’ safety, the ministers told the media that Odisha government already has laws in place which safeguards working doctors in the state. However, he added that adequate measures would be taken to work on some extra points, if any are mentioned in the Centre’s directive.
Das said, “There is hardly anything new in the directions. Odisha already has laws in place which ensures doctors’ safety like CCTV cameras and others. If the situation demands more actions from our side we will definitely undertake it.”
He also added that awareness programmes are also needed to curb assault on practicing doctors. He said that the Chief District Medical Officer (CDMO) is likely to work on improving the relationship between patients and the district hospitals.
After the incident of attack on doctors in West Bengal followed by national uproar on doctors’ safety, the Union Health Ministry had sent advisories to all states to ensure the security of doctors.
The advisory batted for security of sensitive hospitals by trained force, installation of CCTV cameras, control systems to monitor situations and act on real time basis, institutional FIR registration systems, among others.