Services of marshals, bouncers withdrawn from Lady Hardinge medical college, associated hospital

NEW DELHI: The services of marshals and bouncers were withdrawn from Lady Hardinge Medical College and Associated Hospital here, according to an official order.

The move came following instructions from union health minister Mansukh Mandaviya. "I am directed to...inform that the services of marshals/bouncers are temporarily suspended in Lady Hardinge Medical College and Associated Hospital, therefore the services of marshals may be withdrawn with immediate effect till further order," the order by Deputy Director V K Sharma issued on October 31 stated. According to sources, Mandaviya had visited the hospital recently to review its functioning.

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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, an order from the medical director stated that an institutional FIR will be filed with immediate effect as demanded by the resident doctors. The medical director also 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.

Following this incident, a draft was formulated in consultation with several resident doctors’ bodies that proposed a 10-year imprisonment or Rs 10 lakh fine for grievously injuring a doctor on duty.