Citizens will now think twice before assaulting doctors in public hospitals.

After incidents of relatives of patients beating up doctors, public hospitals will now be equipped with LCD screens along with Closed-Circuit Television (CCTVs) cameras to monitor and prevent untoward incidents.

This was one of several demands of the Maharashtra Association of Resident Doctors (MARD) accepted by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) and Directorate of Medicinal Education and Research (DMER).

The doctors called off their 86-hour strike after the BMC agreed to their demands of forming a committee to review security in hospitals, submit a report in 15 days and inclusion of resident doctors in the panel that will review the status of emergency medicines and instruments in hospitals every week.

"The authorities have agreed to install TV/ LCD screens along with CCTV cameras on the hospital premises," said Dr Pankaj Nalawade, president, central MARD.

The number of CCTV cameras on the hospital premises will also be increased and this will be done after a security committee review in the next seven days."Our demand for a police chowky on the hospital premises has been accepted. The DMER is going to send a proposal to the state home ministry requesting a police chowky with two armed policemen on the hospital premises," added Dr Nalawade.

The college hospitals such as KEM and Nair will have doctors in the security committee to review security issues in seven days. The authorities agreed to have resident doctors in the committee that will review the quota of emergency medicines and equipment in the hospital.

"We have sprung into action and deployed additional security and purchased the required equipment. We need an approval from the standing committee and we have put a proposal," said Dr Sanjay Oak, public health director and dean of KEM hospital.