Around 150 personnel, including women officers, of the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) were deployed at Kolkata’s RG Kar Medical College and Hospital on Thursday following an order of the Supreme Court. Official sources said that the number of personnel may be increased to 180, including women. The 208 private security guards at the hospital will also stay for the time being.
“CISF will control the entire access at the entry-exit points and also at the buildings while we will look after the law and order situation in due consultation with the CISF. Our outpost will also function as usual,” said a senior Kolkata Police officer.
At present, there are 524 police personnel — led by two DCPs — including three companies of Rapid Action Force which are stationed on the RG Kar campus.
Prior to the vandalism at the hospital on the night of August 14, 72 cops used to be posted at the hospital.
A day after the apex court’s order, the Union Home Ministry wrote to the West Bengal Chief Secretary seeking deployment of the CISF at the State-run hospital. Subsequently, a decision has been taken for the deployment of the CISF, the sources said.
On Wednesday, a CISF team of officers, led by the IG and DIG, conducted a recce of RG Kar Medical College and Hospital (RGKMCH) and held multiple meetings with hospital officials and senior Kolkata Police officers as they prepared to join duty with Kolkata Police to manage security of the hospital.
Earlier in the morning, a CISF team, led by a DIG-rank officer, surveyed the hospital complex where a 31-year-old trainee doctor was found raped and murdered on August 9.
CISF officers said that they had identified 26 “vulnerable points” that needed constant monitoring. Apart from that, metal detectors will also be installed at all entry points and frisking of visitors would also start from Friday, they said.
The force will also secure the resident doctors’ hostel and other facilities, the sources said.
On the morning of August 9, the trainee doctor’s body was found in the hospital’s seminar room. A civic volunteer, who was an outsider frequenting the hospital premises, was arrested the next day in connection with the case.
The incident has since triggered protests affecting medical services across the country, with hundreds of resident doctors on strike under different banners demanding safety of medical professionals.
The Supreme Court on Tuesday constituted a 10-member task force to formulate a national protocol to ensure safety and facilities for doctors. The task force will submit its interim report within three weeks and the final report within two months.
Senior Kolkata Police officers and hospital officials stressed that both Kolkata Police and CISF would jointly work at the hospital to provide fool-proof security.
The CISF deployment comes within 24 hours of the visit of the CISF DIG, K Pratap Singh, who reached the hospital around 9am on Wednesday with a team of 12-odd CISF officers and held an hour-long meeting with hospital officials before he set out on a tour of its premises.
The hospital officials pointed out to them the most vulnerable buildings: emergency, trauma care, gynaecological department, general OPD building, the girls’ hostel, oxygen plant and radiotherapy building.
The officer took notes on the building layout and where the personnel were to be posted, officers said.
A hospital official, who was accompanying the team, said they had also located three rooms that could serve as temporary barracks for the personnel. The DIG also checked the road outside the hospital and stressed on securing it as well.
A detailed note of the damaged but under-repair main door was also taken down by the DIG. However, he didn’t make any immediate comment. He returned to the hospital in the afternoon with IG Shikhar Sahai, and held a detailed meeting before they went to Lalbazar for another set of meetings with Kolkata Police commissioner, Vineet Goyal.
Kolkata Police sources said that they would provide permanent transport to the CISF teams. “We are making temporary stay arrangements for them near the hospital at three guest houses,” said a senior officer at Lalbazar.
