Delhi has a long way to go in ensuring security of nurses

Sapna Dogra - New Delhi

Florence Nightingale, the pioneer of nursing, would have been aghast at the condition of her Indian sisters who are having tough time due to the apathetic attitude of the government and authorities”, rues G K Khurana, deputy nursing superintendent at the Dr R M L Hospital and secretary general of the All-India Government Nurses Federation.

Not only are nurses overworked and underpaid, but there is a constant fear about their safety and security, says Khurana. Most nurses complain that they feel uneasy when all alone in a ward of 40-50 patients, especially during night shifts.

Another reason for their vulnerability is that often they have to face the wrath of patients and their relatives when someone dies or the demands of the patients are not fulfiled.

Besides, the danger lurks in the form of some uncivilised/uncouth employees who are just waiting to pounce on the hapless and unsuspecting women. Take the incidence of molestation at Shanti Mukund Hospital in east Delhi.

Within the premises of the hospital, the security is also not foolproof. Facing drunken hospital staff is also no less uncommon. Let’s also not forget the incident of rape of Aruna Shanbaug at Mumbai-based KEM hospital by a hospital staff.

According to Khurana, each ward should have one guard and duty rooms should not be exposed for anyone to barge in unannounced. At the moment, at the RML hospital, there is only one guard for the entire building. Hence it is not uncommon to find people roaming inside the wards, say hospital staff.

The guidelines ensuring security of female staff, as issued by the Delhi government, is yet to be implemented by the hospital authorities. The scenario is similar everywhere. According to Jasmine Pacheko, nursing superintendent at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), not much has changed in terms of providing extra security and safety measures to the nurses.

However, at AIIMS, during the orientation programmes, the new nurses are warned against going to deserted and poorly lit areas alone. Nurses are also asked to equip themselves with important phone numbers in case of emergencies. During night shifts, nurses are asked to move in a group of two or three. According to Pacheko, it’s nurses who have come from far-off places via public transport who are at risk, than the nurses staying at the hostel.

At Sir Gangaram Hospital, special arrangements are made for ensuring safety. Says June Caroline, nursing superintendent, “A nurse is never alone on duty at any given time. There are always five-six people present along with a nurse like ward boys, night supervisor, administration officer and doctors.

For nurses who come from far-off places, the night shift starts at 9 pm and ends at 7 am in the morning. “The long hours have specially been incorporated keeping in mind the security aspect of nurses so that they don’t have to travel at odd hours. To compensate the evening shift is of six hours and all nurses do these duties alternatively”, adds Caroline.

The nurses’ hostel has balconies with grills and the walls have barbed wires. The hostel inside has a bell in each corridor which is not apparent to an outsider.

Moreover, the hospital has a special committee to keep a check of the sexual harassment cases inside the premises. This eight-member committee, which includes two nurses, informs Caroline, looks into the matters of harassment upon reporting and the culprits are punished to the extent of termination of service. So far, two people have been asked to leave.’There are private nursing homes where the nurses are exposed to perils of unsafe atmosphere and harassment. Most of them are of the view that they feel scared especially during night shifts. And hospitals/nursing homes refuse to take responsibility of their safety.

However, corporate hospitals like Indraprastha Apollo have beefed up their security cover keeping in mind the women employees. There are special lady security supervisors and guards and along with closed-circuit TV all over and doorframe metal detectors. According to the chief security officer, Vinay Sharma, all floors have round-the-clock security and patrolling. Nowadays, he says, security has been tightened in the women’s wards where no visitor is allowed without a pass.

The hospital has tied up with an agency for these passes. Taking cognisance of the rise in crime against women, security in parking areas has been increased and guards have been provided with high beam torches, informs Sharma.

According to a health ministry source, the security of female staff in all hospitals is of paramount importance. However, public education in this regard is also necessary.

The government understands the issue of the safety of nurses, which is why the guidelines have been issued to all hospitals to reinforce the point. The public should also be sensitised to behave well in hospitals. Therefore, it is important to educate the community also as adopting safety measures alone wouldn’t help, he adds.