CISF seniors visit RG Kar before agency joins police to guard hospital
Times of India | 22 August 2024
12 Kolkata: A CISF team officers, led by the IG and DIG, conducted a recee of RG Kar Medical College and Hospital (RGKMCH) and held multiple meetings with hospital officials and city’s top cops as they prepared to join duty with Kolkata Police to manage security of the hospital.
Sources said a team of 180-odd personnel are likely to take up position outside and inside key buildings and entry-exit gates from Thursday.But cops and hospital officials stressed that both Kolkata Police and CISF will jointly work at the hospital.
The force’s visit came a day after the Supreme Court had ordered deployment of the CISF at the hospital. At present, there are 524 police personnel — led by two DCPs — including three companies of Rapid Action Force are stationed on RG Kar campus. Prior to the vandalism at the hospital, 72 cops used to be posted here. The 208 private security guards at the hospital are also to stay for the time being.
On Wednesday, CISF DIG, K Pratap Singh, reached the hospital around 9am with a team of 12 odd CISF personnel and held an hour-long meeting with hospital officials before he set out on a tour of its premises. The hospital officials pointed out to them the most vulnerable buildings: emergency, trauma care, gynaecological department, general OPD building, the girls’ hostel, oxygen plant and radiotherapy building.
The officer took notes on the building layout and where the personnel were to be posted, officers said. A hospital official, who was accompanying the team, said they had also located three rooms that could serve as temporary barracks for the personnel. The DIG also checked the road outside the hospital and stressed on securing it as well. A detailed note of the damaged but under-repair main door was also taken down by the DIG. However, he didn’t make any immediate comment. He returned to the hospital in the afternoon with IG Shikhar Sahai, and held a detailed meeting before they went to Lalbazar for another set of meetings with Kolkata police commissioner, Vineet Goyal. Cops said they would provide permanent transport to the CISF teams. “We are making temporary stay arrangements for them near the hospital at three guest houses for the day,” said a senior officer at Lalbazar.
“CISF will control the entire access at the entry-exit points and also at the buildings while we will look after the law and order situation in due consultation with the CISF. Our outpost will also function as usual,” said the officer.