Declare govt. healthcare institutions as high-security zones: doctors’ body

The Service Doctors and Post Graduates Association (SDPGA) has urged the State government to declare all government health institutions as “high-security zones”, citing incidents of violence on hospital premises and the recent death of a woman police constable on duty at Paramakudi Government Hospital. The police constable had suffered injuries while attempting to stop two groups from fighting.The association said the incident brought to light the unsafe conditions prevailing in the State’s government healthcare institutions, including Primary Health Centres, government hospitals (GH), and medical college hospitals.The SDPGA listed a number of incidents that occurred on the premises of hospitals recently. On September 21, a 35-year-old woman working in the Emergency Department of Ponneri GH was set on fire, while on duty, by an unidentified man. In another incident, a group of youth barged into Valparai GH and threatened women doctors on duty. While an FIR was filed in this case, no arrests were made.The association said these incidents reinforced the lack of security in government hospitals and also reminded the government about the stabbing of a senior oncologist in the outpatient department at Kalaignar Centenary Super Specialty Hospital in 2024. Following the incident, the SDPGA conducted State-wide protests, demanding that government healthcare institutions be notified as high-security zones.The government had then formed committees to improve/implement security arrangements in hospitals, but the recommendations still remain on paper, it said.The association urged the Chief Minister to intervene and create a special police force to improve the security status of all government healthcare institutions, as more than 70% of the health workforce in the State were women. They work overnight, round-the-clock, and hence it was necessary to provide security to hospitals to ensure safety for women. Published - September 30, 2026 11:16 pm IST