Date:18/12/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/12/18/stories/2008121854130400.htm

New Delhi

AIIMS doctors demand better security system in campus

Bindu Shajan Perappadan

“Fix responsibility and take action against those in charge of security”

Private security personnel do not even check entry passes, claim doctors
Need to restrict the movement of unauthorised people into the residential area

NEW DELHI: A daylight theft recently at the residence of a senior faculty member at All-India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) campus has left doctors here agitated at the state of security in the Institute campus. The faculty members have now demanded that the hospital administration should pull up its socks and fix responsibility for the lax security.

“We have written to the AIIMS authorities asking them to work towards improving the state of security at the hospital and the residential area but our requests have fallen on deaf ears. Three letters were submitted in the past year pointing to the need to increase security; however, things have not improved so far. Now with this daylight theft at the house of a senior faculty member we are worried about how secure we are,” said a senior faculty member at AIIMS.

President of the Faculty Association of the Institute Binod Khaitan demanded that responsibility be fixed and action be taken against those in charge of AIIMS security. “We are surprised that the Institute administration does not understand the seriousness of the matter. The Institute which sees a huge number of patients and relatives every day needs a tight security system in place; however, what we have instead is a private security agency which does not take on responsibility for the Institute. Work happens in a very ad-hoc manner. We have written to the authorities and we hope that things will improve soon.”

The Faculty members have also noted that the private security personnel deployed in the wards and hospital entry points do not bother to even look at the entry passes thus allowing unscrupulous elements into the hospital area. “All this has led to increased number of people visiting the hospital at all time which is proving to be a security risk. Similarly the out patient departments are also in a mess. There is virtually no security in the academic block and anybody can walk in freely without any checks,” said a senior faculty member.

Stating that the Institute has already started working towards enhancing the security and restricting the entry of non-residents into the AIIMS residential area, deputy director administration of AIIMS Shailender Yadav said: “We have asked for permanent security personnel but till the time things fall in place the Institute will have to make do with the private security guards and the 100 Institute guards that we currently have. There is also an urgent need to restrict the movement of unauthorised people into the residential area and we are working at a permanent solution which should be in place soon.”