Pune: Sassoon General Hospital To Provide Rest Rooms For Female Doctors Working Night Shifts

The Sassoon General Hospital (SGH) is all set to provide rest rooms for female doctors working night shifts. Additionally, the female doctors have already been provided with female guards to escort them if they have to move from the SGH's old building to the new building.

The decision to set up rooms for female doctors came in the backdrop of a lack of support staff and delays in medical services during night hours. The hospital administration has decided that it will appoint designated staff during the night shift to address patients' concerns more effectively. And to provide security to the female doctors, the setting up of rooms has been done.

Dr Eknath Pawar, dean of BJ Medical College (BJMC) and SGH, said, "We are setting up separate rooms for female doctors working in night shifts, and we have already provided them with female guards to accompany them during movement from the new building to old building or anywhere in the hospital premises for that matter."

"To better the patient care and provide round-the-clock service, we have insisted on shift-wise duty. During the daytime, all senior doctors, administration, and staff are present, but during the night, the senior administration is not available at the hospital, causing inconvenience to the patients. This new system aims to address patient grievances, and the names of the senior doctors and administrators will be displayed so that patients can contact them even during the night. An associate professor will be appointed for the night shift who will be the in-charge and head and will address all problems/issues faced by patients and their kin," added Pawar.

A student at BJ Medical College, on the condition of anonymity, said, "It's good that the new changes are being introduced. If female doctors fall sick during their night shift, they have to hunt for a bed in the hospital so that they can lie down. But with this new initiative, the female doctors will feel more safe and secure."