GMCH responds to doctors' protest with new night travel vehicle for female staff

Guwahati, August 18: The 24-hour protest by medical professionals, primarily junior doctors, at Gauhati Medical College and Hospital (GMCH) has yielded some positive changes for female staff working at the institution.

After the completion of the 24-hours demonstration on Sunday morning, the GMCH management announced a new measure aimed at enhancing security for female medical professionals.

According to a notification issued on Saturday night, the institute has introduced a dedicated vehicle service for female doctors, including post-graduate trainees and interns, working night shifts from 9 pm to 7 am in the Casualty Department.

The service will cover transportation between the main hospital campus, Superspeciality Hospital, CN Centre, and Hostel No. 3, with a female security guard accompanying the doctors during their travel.

Earlier, a few days after the gruesome crime in Kolkata, the GMCH authorities had initiated patrolling services after 6 pm to escort outsiders entering the GMCH premises after OPD hours.

While the protesters have welcomed these initial steps, they believe more measures are needed to ensure their safety.

"We are satisfied with the initial steps; however, it is not sufficient. The authorities need to do more to ensure our safety. We need additional security personnel to safeguard us during the night hours," Dr. Shreyasi Nath, a PG student at the institution told The Assam Tribune.

Meanwhile, the protest, which calls for stricter security measures following the heinous rape and murder of a trainee doctor in Kolkata, continued beyond the 24-hour mark initially highlighted by the Indian Medical Association (IMA) on Sunday afternoon.

Students maintained their stance, demanding a concrete law to ensure their safety while on campus.

“It’s like making helmets mandatory while riding a two-wheeler. Before it became a law, everybody knew about its benefits but didn’t follow it. We need a law to safeguard us in our workplaces, not just lip service,” said another student, who requested anonymity.

Earlier on Saturday, thousands of medical professionals across Assam abstained from their duties at several medical colleges following the Indian Medical Association's call for a 24-hour strike.