GMCH installs metal detector, begins pass system after much deliberation

AURANGABAD: After repeated pressure from the Medical Association of Resident Doctors (MARD) to beef up security on its premises, the Government Medical College and Hospital (GMCH) has finally initiated some positive steps.
On Thursday, the hospital administration installed a metal detector at the entrance of the medicine department and also introduced pass system for the patients' relatives.
"The hospital administration will install another metal detector at the casualty building soon.The step has been initiated as a precautionary measure and will help improve the security system at the hospital," said GMCH dean Chandrakant Mhaske.
"These measures have been introduced considering the incidents of assault on resident doctors by the relatives of patients and increasing threat of violence due to overcrowding at the hospital. In the meantime, to fulfil another demand of MARD to restrict entry of the patients' relatives, the hospital administration has also introduced the pass system a couple of days ago," Mhaske said.
"Only two passes are being issued to the relatives of patients. However, steps are also being taken to avoid any confusion or irregularities in distributing the passes. Dedicated staff has been assigned the duty of issuing passes," he added.
MARD has protested many times to raise voice against the attack on resident doctors. It had alleged that the state government was not taking enough security measures to safeguard the doctors from repeated abuse by patients and their relatives.
"We had urged the GMCH administration to introduce a pass system under which only two relatives with each patient will be allowed inside the hospital so the entry of unwanted individuals is avoided," said Pranay Jambulkar, Aurangabad MARD president.
"The high court has directed the government to limit the number of relatives per patient to two. Restricting the number of relatives will be the best option for overall functioning of the hospital, including decreased attacks on the doctors and reduction in hospital-acquired infections," he added.