Delhi Police, Home Guards to Guard LNGP

Delhi Police and home guard personnel will guard the Lok Nayak Jai Prakash (LNGP) Hospital round-the-clock to curb the alleged manhandling of doctors/ by relatives of patients.

"The existing private security firm taking care of the hospital has been removed with immediate effect. Some 70 home guards along with Delhi police personnel will guard the hospital from now on," Delhi Health Secretary D.S. Negi told IANS.

Since Wednesday, 700 resident doctors, 200 interns and 600 students were protesting the alleged manhandling of a senior resident doctor by relatives of a patient.

On Thursday, nearly 800 nurses joined the protest creating a huge problem for thousands of patients who visit the hospital everyday.

This is not the only incident of its kind at LNJP. A day after LNJP employees went on strike in January 2006, there was a clash between the medical staff and the relatives of a patient who died due to brain haemorrhage.

Medicos for long have been complaining of inadequate security in the hospital.

Negi had a two-hour interaction with the protesting medicos late Thursday evening.

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"We had a prolonged discussion in which I finalised the security measures for medicos in the hospital.

"Police personnel would also be deployed in the emergency ward, which is often the flashpoint of controversy in the hospital," he said after the meeting.

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Delhi Chief Secretary Narayan Swami was also present at the meeting.

Negi said that resident doctors have promised to call off the strike after their general body meeting. "They may join work Friday."

However, Jitendra Singla, president of the hospital's resident doctors' association, said they would take a decision on this issue on Friday. "The strike is still on, we will take a final decision tomorrow."


Source-IANS
MED