Kolkata: Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee announced on Thursday that the West Bengal government has assigned principles of state-run medical colleges to lead safety infrastructure upgrades in hospitals. The state has allocated ₹100 crore for installing CCTV cameras, washrooms, restrooms, lighting, and drinking water facilities.
This decision follows demands from junior doctors for improved safety measures after the rape and murder of a colleague at RG Kar Medical College in August. The junior doctors had previously raised concerns about the slow progress of these safety implementations, including separate restrooms for male and female staff.
Chief Minister Banerjee emphasized that putting college principals in charge of these projects, rather than the Public Works Department, would accelerate the work. Additionally, she announced that biometric attendance systems would be introduced to monitor personnel working in hospitals.
The government also plans to recruit 12,000 new police officers, with some tasked with ensuring the safety of hospital premises. Former Kolkata Police Commissioner Surajit Kar Purkayastha will oversee a security audit of the medical institutions. The move aims to address long-standing safety concerns in government healthcare facilities.
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