Resident doctors oppose removal of marshals, bouncers from Lady Hardinge Medical College

NEW DELHI: The Resident Doctors' Association (RDA) of Lady Hardinge Medical College and Associated Hospital has opposed the recent move of withdrawing security marshals and bouncers from the hospital campus.

In a letter to the hospital's Director on Thursday, it said assault on resident doctors is increasing day by day and trimming the workforce of hospital security will make it worse. Some doctors of the association said that if bouncers are removed then there should be deployment of CISF or any other force as withdrawing the bouncers will put their lives at risk.

Also Read | Services of marshals, bouncers withdrawn from Lady Hardinge medical college, associated hospital

"The Resident Doctors' Association strongly opposes the decision of temporarily terminating security marshals/bouncers deployed in our institution," the RDA said. "This notice has created a state of panic among the resident doctors who are working hard day and night to take care of patients. Resident doctors working in emergency and in other vulnerable areas are in constant threat of becoming a victim of an assault.

So, we humbly request you to kindly reinstate marshals and bouncers, which will provide a safe environment for our working resident doctors," it wrote to the hospital director. On the instructions of union health minister Mansukh Mandaviya, services of marshals and bouncers were withdrawn from Lady Hardinge Medical College and Associated Hospitals from November 1.

In May 2022, resident doctors of Lady Hardinge Medical College went on a strike. The strike was held after doctors on duty at the associated Kalawati Saran Children’s Hospital were assaulted by the relatives of five-month-old twins who passed away at the hospital. Therefore, to increase security of their doctors, the medical director assured them that existing bouncers or security personnel will be posted in the vulnerable areas while a request for increasing the numbers will be taken up with competent authority.