KARACHI: CHK seeks deployment of rangers for security
By Our Staff Reporter
KARACHI, April 16: The administration of Civil Hospital Karachi requested the health department on Wednesday to allow the posting of rangers or police personnel on its premises so that adequate security could be provided to the staff.
The move follows a brief strike which was called by the hospital’s house officers on Monday after a series of incidents in which a female house officer was beaten up by a patient’s attendants.
According to a well-placed source, a letter was sent by the hospital’s medical superintendent to the health secretary on Wednesday in which he sought the posting of 150 guards, preferably trained at the Police Foundation. The MS has also requested that a rangers or police picket be allowed on the premises.
The letter said the hospital had only 57 posts for guards and watchmen, of which as many as 30 were vacant. With the existing number of security personnel it was next to impossible for the administration to make satisfactory security arrangements.
When contacted, a senior doctor of the hospital said at 90 per cent occupancy rate, up to 1,500 patients remained in its wards round the clock. “And if each patient had only two attendants with him or her, the total number of attendants works out to 3,000,” he said.
“This is a huge number for any security system to handle.” In response to a question, he said not long ago security had been contracted out to a private firm.
“But the system couldn’t run for long simply because we get a lot of visitors every day. Within a month the security firm’s owners came up to us and asked us to terminate their contract. They simply couldn’t cope with the number of people visiting our wards.”
Another doctor told Dawn that the patients’ attendants routinely teased women and stole things. “And the parking area of the hospital has become a safe haven for car snatchers and lifters. After these characters pick up a car, they deposit it in our parking lot for safekeeping.”
He was of the view that police or rangers personnel should be posted immediately on the hospital’s premises. “Look at Karachi University. There the rangers have been successful in bringing the situation under control even though some student groups are very active there.
“It’s time that something similar is tried here. My worst fear is that one day, God forbid, a deranged attendant will take out a knife or gun and start hurting the staff randomly and indiscriminately.
“And believe me I have seen cases in emergency in which angry mobs, after shooting in the air, have taken over the entire casualty department. We already know of incidents in which mosques have been attacked by gunmen. Can’t something like this happen in a hospital?”
Another doctor contented that posting of rangers personnel on the hospital premises would be akin to turning it into a ‘prison’. “I think posting of law enforcing personnel alone will not solve the problem. It is just another knee-jerk reaction.”
This doctor was of the opinion that until and unless the doctors changed their attitude towards the common people, the problem will refuse to go away. “Let’s first try to lessen the number of complaints. This can only be achieved if we start taking good care of the patients.”
Meanwhile, four house officers of the medical ward number four told Dawn that the doctor who had been roughed up by three attendants on Saturday night had not turned up for work.
For the time being they were satisfied by the security arrangements made by the hospital administration, they said. “For now we are satisfied but for how long will this arrangement continue, we cannot say,” said one of them.
The house officers were of the view that law-enforcement personnel should be posted at the entrance of every ward.
“We have called for a token system. Under this system for each patient only one attendant will be allowed inside the wards. The rest of the attendants may stay on the premises but not inside the wards.”
