Patna Medical College and Hospital (PMCH) has decided to strengthen its security system.

The hospital plans to increase the number of security personnel from 75 to 150.

Bihar Medical Services and Infrastructure Corporation Limited, a health department wing, has already floated a tender in this regard, which will be finalised by the second week of April.

"The rising instances of attacks on doctors have forced us to increase the number of men looking after the security of the hospital," said PMCH deputy superintendent Deepak Tandon. "PMCH has 75 security personnel engaged in all the emergency wings, outpatient department and other areas in three shifts. This allows 25 people in each shift. The addition in the numbers will allow the hospital to have 50 people manning it at all times."

PMCH officials said the existing lot of security personnel consisted of Grade III and IV employees of the army but the next lot will mostly comprise of the army's infantry.

"We have mentioned that we need only people from the army's infantry who have prior experience of manning an area," said Tandon. "This will ensure greater efficiency in the security arrangement."?

Doctors at the hospital looked happy with the move.

"It is good that the hospital is now going to deploy more security personnel," said Ravindra Kumar, a junior doctor at PMCH. "Most of the time, it is the junior doctors who face the wrath of the patients' relatives. If there is adequate security, no major scuffle would take place at the hospital."

An intern at PMCH, who did not wish to be quoted, said apart from recruiting more security personnel, the hospital should also concentrate on conducting orientation programmes for the existing security to work on their efficiency during any trouble.

"Whenever there is an attack on doctors by the patients' relatives, the existing security personnel fail to react to the situation appropriately," he said. "The doctors feel insecure. Besides, the existing security does not carry out their duty properly. They don't even check the visitors for passes. The hospital should look into every aspect that requires security and train the personnel accordingly."