The authorities of AGMC and GBP Hospital have announced a series of reforms aimed at strengthening safety across the hospital campus following the recent incident at resident girls' hostel and a number of theft incidents reported within the premises.
Speaking at a press conference on Wednesday, AGMC Principal Prof. (Dr.) Tapan Majumder said the incident occurred when a first-year postgraduate student was resting in her hostel room. An unidentified masked intruder allegedly entered through an unsecured rear entrance, pushed the student from behind and escaped with her mobile phone before private security personnel could apprehend him.
According to the Principal, hostel authorities and personnel from the NCC Police Station reached the spot immediately after the incident. However, the accused managed to flee.
Dr. Majumder said the investigation is in progress, but identifying the suspect has become difficult due to inadequate CCTV coverage in certain parts of the hostel complex. Preliminary footage reportedly shows a person approaching from the rear side, while the absence of protective grills at some entry points enabled the intrusion.
Following the incident, the Engineering Cell has been instructed to install grills at vulnerable locations inside the women's hostel. The administration has also initiated steps to significantly expand CCTV surveillance across the campus.
The AGMC Principal said a show-cause notice has been issued to the private security agency engaged at the hospital. Although the agency had been instructed to maintain continuous surveillance and deploy personnel in plain clothes, officials found that the last security round on the day of the incident had been conducted at 9:45 p.m.
Hospital authorities also reviewed security arrangements in view of several recent theft cases reported from different parts of the campus.
Medical Superintendent Dr. Bidhan Goswami said the administration has decided to install additional CCTV cameras, reduce the number of entry and exit points, and prohibit unauthorized vehicle parking in residential areas of the hospital complex to improve access control.
He added that the police have been requested to intensify patrolling around the campus and coordinate closely with hospital security supervisors. Adequate lighting will also be ensured in vulnerable areas to improve safety during night hours.
Dr. Goswami said security personnel have already detained four suspected thieves this month and handed them over to the police. To prevent unauthorized movement within the hospital, wearing identity cards and prescribed uniforms has now been made mandatory for all staff members.
Responding to questions regarding allegations that a patient was denied treatment in the emergency department after a disagreement with a doctor, Dr. Goswami said an inquiry committee has already been constituted and is in contact with the complainant.
He reiterated that the hospital administration follows a "zero tolerance" policy towards misconduct and emphasized that emergency medical care must always be provided first, in accordance with established legal guidelines and Supreme Court directives.
Deputy Medical Superintendent Dr. Kanak Chowdhury, Deputy MS Dr. Kumarjit Sinha, Resident Medical Officer Dr. Bikas Debbarma and other senior officials were also present during the briefing.