Bengal Implements Enhanced Security Measures After Hospital Assaults: High-Level Review Meeting Addresses Women's Safety Crisis

On Wednesday, a minor girl was sexually assaulted at a Kolkata hospital, triggering immediate action from authorities. (Representational)

Kolkata:

Following consecutive incidents of violence against women in West Bengal medical facilities, a high-level review meeting was convened at the state secretariat in Kolkata. The Chief Secretary presided over the meeting, which included principals from all medical colleges across West Bengal.

Notable attendees included the Director General of Police (DGP), Home Secretary, Health Secretary, and Kolkata Police Commissioner. The session commenced at noon to address security deficiencies and strategies for ensuring the safety of both medical professionals and patients. Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee participated remotely via telephone.

The meeting primarily concentrated on implementing robust security measures in high-traffic medical institutions, conducting police verification of contractual employees, and restricting entry for non-governmental individuals in hospital premises.

On Wednesday, at Seth Sukhlal Karnani Memorial Hospital (SSKM), Bengal's premier postgraduate government medical facility located in central Kolkata, a minor was forcibly taken to a restroom and sexually assaulted. The perpetrator, identified as Amit Mallick, was apprehended by authorities after reviewing surveillance footage and conducting raids. Police identified him as a former Group D employee of Shambhu Nath Pandit Hospital. Reports indicated that the accused had impersonated a doctor before deceiving the minor, who was accompanied by her mother. Following the incident, the Kolkata Police Commissioner personally visited the facility to gather firsthand information.

In neighboring Howrah district, a junior physician at the government-operated Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyay Medical College and Hospital faced threats while on duty Monday. "I was examining an uncooperative patient who physically kicked me. The patient's relatives then remarked that since I hadn't died from the kick, I should continue working. After informing them that visiting hours had concluded and a senior doctor would conduct the examination, one individual threatened my life, twisted my arm, and claimed to be a high-ranking police official. Two men simultaneously assaulted me," she informed the media. Authorities arrested three individuals named in the doctor's formal complaint, including a traffic home guard.

While the SSKM incident has raised significant concerns about women's safety throughout the city, medical institutions were questioned about their measures for verifying security personnel backgrounds. A five-member investigative committee has been established to examine the SSKM case.

West Bengal minister Sashi Panja stated, "The trauma care facility at SSKM is consistently crowded, making it challenging to identify specific individuals. Additional security in such congested areas might create further disruption. Nevertheless, the perpetrator has been apprehended and is not affiliated with hospital staff. Appropriate actions are being taken. The victim and her family trust the investigation process. I urge everyone to avoid politicizing or misrepresenting this matter."

Despite this appeal, opposition leader Suvendu Adhikari criticized the Mamata Banerjee administration for failing to safeguard women despite having a female Chief Minister. "I encourage women across the state to declare 'Amader Para, TMC Tara' (remove TMC from our locality). BJP will restore women's dignity here," Adhikari declared during a rally in Uttar Dinajpur.