In the wake of the recent assault on a doctor at Mumbai’s Cooper Hospital, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has decided to strengthen security measures across all its civic-run hospitals. The move comes amid growing concern among healthcare workers over their safety at work.
According to senior civic officials, a comprehensive audit of existing security systems and manpower deployment has already begun. “We are looking at both short-term and long-term interventions. The focus is to make hospital campuses safer for staff and patients alike,” said a senior BMC officer, requesting anonymity.
The civic body is now formulating hospital-specific security protocols rather than applying a uniform model across facilities. “Every hospital has a different layout, patient profile, and crowd dynamic,” the official added. “We will take these into account before finalising measures.”
Deputy Municipal Commissioner (Health) Dr Sudhakar Shinde reportedly confirmed that the BMC is coordinating with Mumbai Police to ensure better surveillance and quick-response systems. Additional security personnel from the Maharashtra Security Force (MSF) are also likely to be deployed at major hospitals such as KEM, Sion, and Nair.
BMC sources said plans are underway to install more CCTV cameras, panic buttons, and access-controlled entry points at critical departments such as emergency wards and ICUs. Hospitals that receive large footfalls, such as Cooper, Sion, and KEM, will be prioritised in the first phase.
Swift implementation needed to prevent future violence
Medical professionals, meanwhile, have welcomed the move but say that the measures must be implemented swiftly. “Doctors face aggression daily from anxious relatives. Security must not just exist on paper,” said a third-year resident doctor working at KEM Hospital.
Patients and attendants, too, believe better security could make hospital environments less chaotic. “Sometimes there’s no one to control crowds or guide us,” said Nishi Pandey, a 22-year-old student who was the sole caretaker of her father, who was admitted to Sion Hospital for gastrointestinal issues.
The recent attack on a resident doctor at Cooper Hospital — allegedly by the relative of a patient — sparked widespread outrage and renewed calls for safer working conditions in government hospitals. Health associations have demanded stricter enforcement of the Maharashtra Medicare Service Persons and Medicare Service Institutions (Prevention of Violence and Damage or Loss to Property) Act, 2010.
“The objective is to restore confidence among medical staff and ensure uninterrupted patient care,” a civic spokesperson said, adding that an official circular detailing new security protocols is expected within a week.
The BMC is also working closely with the city’s police department to strengthen its rapid-response system. Plans include installing panic buttons connected to local police stations and designating a police liaison officer for each major hospital. The use of AI-powered surveillance tools and crowd analytics to monitor high-traffic areas in real time is being explored, said officials.
Besides physical security, the civic body is also planning workshops for hospital staff on de-escalation techniques and communication with distressed patients and relatives.
Experts say crowding is often caused by the absence of clear triage systems and visitor regulation. A report by the BMC’s health department last year had recommended digital queue systems and visitor tokens to streamline patient flow.
Patients, meanwhile, believe that greater transparency and communication can ease tensions. “Relatives get upset when they don’t know what’s happening inside. If hospitals keep people informed, half the anger will vanish,” said Paras Pandey, whose family member was admitted to Sion Hospital.
Mumbai’s civic hospital network, managed by the BMC, is among the largest urban public health systems in Asia. Its major tertiary-care hospitals include King Edward Memorial (KEM) Hospital, Parel – a 1,800-bed teaching hospital attached to Seth G.S. Medical College. Lokmanya Tilak Municipal General Hospital (Sion Hospital) is known for its trauma and emergency care units. BYL Nair Charitable Hospital, Mumbai Central, Cooper Hospital, Juhu, a western suburb landmark that sees a large number of accident and maternity cases, Rajawadi Hospital (Ghatkopar), Shatabdi Hospital (Kandivali), and Bhagwati Hospital (Borivali).
Together, these hospitals provide more than 5,000 beds and serve as referral centres for patients from across Maharashtra.