Mumbai:
The poor standard of security in BMC hospitals has been in the news after the recent theft of a baby from VN Desai Hospital in Santa Cruz. After that, the civic body has been reiterating that steps are being taken to enhance the security in its hospitals. But the way the BMC is treating its staff suggests that it is hardly serious about the safety of its patients.
Recently, the KEM Hospital transferred a security guard just because he wanted to establish the identity of a woman in burqa was entering the premises.
After the incident, the hospital administration immediately transferred the security guard, Vinayak Meshram, from KEM Hospital, and shifted him to some other place.
One day last week, Meshram was on duty when he saw a woman in burqa entering the hospital. He stopped her for identification and asked her to remove the burqa. The woman refused to comply and barged into the hospital without listening to the guard. She went and complained against Meshram to higher authorities of the hospital. The woman alleged in her complaint that the security personnel insulted her while she was entering the hospital.
Based on the complaint, the hospital administration conducted an inquiry and asked the head of the security to submit a report about the incident. Soon, the civic administration transferred him from KEM hospital to another place.
"The transfer happened due to political pressure," another security guard posted at the hospital said, adding that Meshram is now getting threatening calls from certain groups. "On the one hand, the civic administration tells us to keep the security tight in civic hospitals, and on the other, if anyone does his duty, he is transferred. Such punishments will just demoralise the security staff."
After the VN Desai Hospital case, even standing committee chairman Rahul Shewale is in favour of that idea the women in burqa should show their faces to security personnel. "In the VN Desai hospital case, the culprit could not be identified because she was wearing a burqa," Shewale said.
Dr Sanjay Oak, dean of KEM Hospital, refused to comment on the issue of transfer, saying the transfer did not come under his purview.
Dilip Shinde, corporator from Goregaon, condemned the transfer of the security guard over such an issue. Shinde has already written a letter to the civic chief, demanding a ban on burqa in civic hospitals, civic offices, maternity homes and malls.
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Recently, the KEM Hospital transferred a security guard just because he wanted to establish the identity of a woman in burqa was entering the premises.
After the incident, the hospital administration immediately transferred the security guard, Vinayak Meshram, from KEM Hospital, and shifted him to some other place.
One day last week, Meshram was on duty when he saw a woman in burqa entering the hospital. He stopped her for identification and asked her to remove the burqa. The woman refused to comply and barged into the hospital without listening to the guard. She went and complained against Meshram to higher authorities of the hospital. The woman alleged in her complaint that the security personnel insulted her while she was entering the hospital.
Based on the complaint, the hospital administration conducted an inquiry and asked the head of the security to submit a report about the incident. Soon, the civic administration transferred him from KEM hospital to another place.
"The transfer happened due to political pressure," another security guard posted at the hospital said, adding that Meshram is now getting threatening calls from certain groups. "On the one hand, the civic administration tells us to keep the security tight in civic hospitals, and on the other, if anyone does his duty, he is transferred. Such punishments will just demoralise the security staff."
After the VN Desai Hospital case, even standing committee chairman Rahul Shewale is in favour of that idea the women in burqa should show their faces to security personnel. "In the VN Desai hospital case, the culprit could not be identified because she was wearing a burqa," Shewale said.
Dr Sanjay Oak, dean of KEM Hospital, refused to comment on the issue of transfer, saying the transfer did not come under his purview.
Dilip Shinde, corporator from Goregaon, condemned the transfer of the security guard over such an issue. Shinde has already written a letter to the civic chief, demanding a ban on burqa in civic hospitals, civic offices, maternity homes and malls.
Copyright restricted. Under license from www.3dsyndication.com
