Hospitals told to install CCTVs, govt tells HC

New Delhi: The AAP government has informed the high court that it has issued direction to all the hospitals run by it or by autonomous bodies to install CCTVs to ensure safety of its staff and patients, especially women.

A bench of acting Chief Justice Gita Mittal and Justice C. Hari Shankar was further informed that the Delhi government’s Director General Health Services has also asked the hospitals run by it that non functional CCTV cameras in their premises be repaired and the same be installed wherever required.

The Delhi government’s additional standing counsel Gautam Narayan further informed the court that a total of 2,613 CCTV cameras were installed in over 30 city government’s hospitals, of which 2,372 cameras were functional.

The AAP government was responding to a public interest litigation (PIL) seeking directions for installation of CCTV cameras and deputing of security guards at all government hospitals under its jurisdiction.

The court had issued notices to the authorities concerned on the plea by a former staff nurse who alleged that she was stalked by a patient in the hospital where she worked and this would not have happened if CCTV cameras had been installed.

In her plea filed through advocate Rajesh Sharma, she has said that an FIR was registered against the accused in connection with the case. The PIL said that the authorities should be directed to take steps towards providing security to women staff working in government hospitals, dispensaries and other health institutions, organisations and mohalla clinics in the city.