Chief minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday announced a slew of measures to augment the security of doctors and other employees at state-run medical colleges and hospitals and improve amenities for them.

The measures included a change in the composition of Rogi Kalyan Samitis (RKSes) or patient welfare committees, a grant of ₹100 crore for infrastructure improvement and vigilance and strict monitoring of the security staff engaged by private agencies at the healthcare facilities.

“Let me assert that from now on, principals of the medical colleges will be the chairpersons of the RKS. The committee will also have a sister (nurse), senior and junior doctors, the local MLA and the inspector-in-charge of the local police station (as members),” Mamata said while addressing an administrative meeting
at Nabanna.

As of now, the committees at most medical colleges are headed by elected representatives of the Trinamool Congress or administrative officials.

Siliguri mayor Gautam Deb is the chairman of the RKS in North Bengal Medical College & Hospital (NBMCH). Jalpaiguri MLA P.K. Barma, who himself is a doctor, is the chairman of the RKS at Jalpaiguri Medical College & Hospital.

Malda district magistrate Nitin Singhania heads the RKS in Malda Medical College and Hospital.

“It is a significant move and hints that the chief minister wants representatives of the medical community in the RKS where they can take up their issues and demands for discussion and solution. During the ongoing protest of junior doctors, it was alleged that the authorities in medical colleges ignored or neglected their demands in many cases,” said a senior faculty member posted at NBMCH.

Mamata said the health department would spend ₹100 crore to install lights to illuminate “dark areas” of the campuses of medical colleges.

“Also, washrooms and restrooms for doctors, nurses... separate washrooms for women doctors would be built at the medical colleges according to the requirement. We are also ready to provide funds to police for the installation of more CCTV cameras at these places,” said the chief minister.

She referred to the civil construction work taken up at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital after the rape and murder of the junior doctor. The renovation near the seminar room, where her body was found, had drawn criticism from various quarters.

“The task was taken up to build a restroom and washroom for the on-duty doctors. Had there been a restroom, she (the victim) would not have to go to the seminar room to sleep. It is atrocious that allegations were made that it was an attempt to tamper with evidence,” said Mamata.

She was disappointed with the functioning of some private agencies which deploy security personnel in medical colleges and hospitals.

“If the agency concerned doesn’t post enough guards every day, it will be blacklisted and will face legal consequences. The hospital (and medical college) authorities should check the credentials of the agency before awarding the contract,” said Mamata.

The chief minister asked health secretary N.S. Nigam and the police if such security personnel could be provided with a seven-day (brief) training at the institutes run by the state police.

On Thursday, Mamata said, Nigam will hold a meeting with the principals, medical superintendent-cum-vice- principals, hospital superintendents, heads of the departments of medical colleges, representatives of junior and senior doctors, and the police. “At the meeting, detailed plans of the works which we have planned will be discussed with them, along with other relevant issues,” said the chief minister.