Authorities keep watch on doctors lockers at SMGS hospital in Jammu

SRINAGAR: As the investigation into the white-collar inter-state terror module involving medical professionals continues, locker checks were carried out in hospitals in Jammu on Tuesday. Authorities conducted thorough checking and screening of lockers belonging to doctors and staff at Government Medical College (GMC) and Sri Maharaja Gulab Singh (SMGS) hospitals in Jammu. Officials opened each locker in both hospitals and searched them thoroughly. The hospitals have also introduced numerical codes for lockers instead of the earlier name labels. Principal, Government Medical College Jammu, Dr Ashutosh Gupta, said that after the busting of the white-collar terror module, security agencies have intensified their investigations and increased vigil in hospitals. We have formed a committee to check all the lockers in the hospitals and then allot them to the allottees. This is part of a routine exercise, he said. According to the GMC Principal, instead of using name labels, we have assigned numbers. The entries are being made in the master register. One key is provided to the allottee and another is retained by the staff. This will help the hospital administration take immediate and swift action in case of any suspicion. Lockers in the hospitals are allotted to sanitation workers, security guards, nurses, PGs and registrars, while Professors and HODs are provided almirahs. The GMC Principal said regular checking would be carried out and lockers can be searched at any time. Similar locker checks were conducted at Government Medical College (GMC) Srinagar, SMHS Hospital, Srinagar, and other Valley hospitals last week to identify and label lockers after the busting of the white-collar terror network and the recovery of an AK-assault rifle from a locker of one of the accused, Dr Adeel Ahmed Rather, at GMC Anantnag. A day after the Delhi car bombing by Dr Umar Nabi, authorities issued a circular directing all faculty members, departmental heads, paramedical staff and students to identify and label their lockers by November 14. Staff and students were asked to mark their lockers with name, designation and code. Officers have been instructed not to issue a No Objection Certificate or service book on transfer of any employee unless the individual locker is properly handed over. Doctors have come under the scanner after the busting of the white-collar inter-state terror network and the Delhi suicide bombing by Dr Umar. Many doctors have been arrested, and several others are under investigation in Kashmir.