Chief minister Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday directed senior officials of the state health department to create direct links between two buildings in government-run medical colleges so that women do not have to use dark stretches while moving from one building block to another.

Mamata said that the entry of people into hospitals cannot be restricted, and it is not always possible to identify those with ill intentions.

Tighter security

Officials of the state health department said all government hospitals have women employees, with their presence being higher in medical colleges.

The chief minister, who was at Swasthya Bhavan on Tuesday to inaugurate 110 mobile medical units that will travel to remote parts of the state with doctors, nurses and technicians, also reminded officials to conduct audits of security agencies.

“It takes a lot of time to switch between buildings. In case the lights switch off when they are travelling at night...you have to plan this... They should be able to visit one building from another directly,” said Mamata.

“There could be someone sitting in a dark stretch. It is not possible to restrict the entry of people into a hospital. Some people might come with ill intentions,” Mamata added.

Red flags

Lack of adequate safety and security in campuses was one of the issues flagged by junior doctors during the protests in 2024 that followed the rape and murder of a postgraduate trainee at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital.

Junior doctors had then raised concerns about dimly lit corridors in the hospital building and several stretches of the college campuses lacking adequate illumination.

The concerns and lapses in security in state-run hospitals were highlighted by two back-to-back incidents of sexual assault and security breach in SSKM Hospital, state’s premier government hospital, in recent weeks.

On October 22, a 13-year-old girl who had gone to the hospital with her parents was allegedly raped inside a toilet by a former Group D employee of SSKM, now with NRS Medical College and Hospital.

On Thursday, a man was arrested for trying to enter the female medicine ward at SSKM after visiting hours.

Need for audit

During her visit to Swasthya Bhavan on Tuesday, Mamata also asked the officials to keep a check on saline and medicines being used in hospitals.

“There should be audits of medicines, air-conditioner machines and security in the hospitals,” she said.

Recruitment

Mamata also flagged the recruitment of doctors, nurses and other employees that is pending. She said that the matter was earlier delayed because of a petition that was being heard by the courts.

“But it has been cleared now. Why is it still pending? Ask the state health recruitment board to pick up some speed in its work. If they do not pick up speed, you have to do it,” Mamata told state’s health secretary Narayan Swaroop Nigam.