File picture of Capital Hospital

Bhubaneswar, May 19: Police have decided to increase the strength of its outpost at the Capital Hospital after a few recent incidents of clashes on the premises.

Tension often grips the hospital following cases of serious accidents or deaths. The most recent incident was a clash between private security guards deployed at the hospital and some mediapersons on Sunday.

The mediapersons alleged that the security guards manhandled them while they were taking photographs of a man admitted at the hospital. Three security guards were arrested in connection with this incident.

On the same day, in the obstetrics and gynaecology department the attendants and relatives of a patient alleged that the hospital staff was asking money to attend them. Apart from this, relatives of patients, who have died while undergoing treatment, often attack the medical staff at the hospital.

Once the strength of the outpost is increased, the policemen would be deployed at various places and patrol all areas of the hospital. At present, only one room has been provided for the outpost where four policemen, including one assistant sub-inspector and three constables, are deployed.

“After the expansion another room would be provided,” said S.N. Swain, deputy chief medical officer of the hospital, adding that the hospital staff could work properly during the night without fear after more policemen were deployed.

Sources said that some of the new staff members have already joined while others would join in the next few days. Apart from the clashes, several cases of theft have also been reported from the hospital. One Kuni Sahu from Puri district, admitted to the gynaecology department last week, complained that a social health activist, who identified herself as Kulina Das, stole all her belongings. Kuni alleged that when she entered the labour room she handed all her ornaments to Kulina who escaped with these valuables.

Besides the hospital staff alleged that relatives of patients had been misbehaving with them. Sometimes some anti-socials come to the hospital and harass the lady staff.

“During night some people come to the hospital drunk and misbehave with lady doctors. Such cases are not registered with the police,” said Nirmala Dei, chief medical officer (CMO) of the hospital.

As such incidents kept on growing, the hospital authorities took the help of private security guards, who had been deployed at various places.

Keeping in view these problems the police decided at the monthly crime meeting to increase the manpower of the outpost.

Contrary to one ASI in-charge of the outpost and three constables who do their duties on rotation, there would be a Sub Inspector in charge of the outpost. Besides there would be two ASIs, one havildar, 12 constables and two home guards.

Campus chaos

■ On October 31 2010, tension gripped the gynaecology dept as the relatives of a patient alleged that hospital staff sold their newborn. Later, it was found that staff had dumped the stillborn in the biomedical waste disposal system

■ In April 2010, tension prevailed in the hospital over the death of an engineering student as his friends alleged that the youth died because of negligence

■ In January 2010, large number of women came to the hospital and shouted at a doctor who had taken money from a patient to attend to her

■ The Capital Police, under which the outpost works, said that several cases of theft and bike lifting from the campus had been reported