Patiala, Oct. 28 -- The Punjab health department has approved the deployment of 205 security guards at all 41 sub-divisional hospitals (SDHs) across the state, addressing a long-pending demand for enhanced security at government healthcare facilities following repeated incidents of violence and intimidation against medical personnel. According to an order issued by the Punjab Health Systems Corporation (PHSC) on October 27, five security guards will be deployed at each SDH through the Punjab Ex-Servicemen Corporation (PESCO). The personnel will initially be engaged for five months, from November 1, 2026, to March 31, 2027. Welcoming the decision, the Punjab Civil Medical Services Association (PCMSA) said around 90 to 100 incidents of violence against healthcare personnel had been reported across the state over the past two years. PCMSA president Dr Akhil Sarin said it had taken repeated representations and incidents of assault for the government to act on the long-pending demand. "It is unfortunate that it took repeated incidents of violence against doctors and healthcare staff for the government to act on a demand that had been pending for a long time. Security at hospitals is not a luxury but a basic requirement to ensure that doctors, particularly women medical officers working night shifts, can discharge their duties without fear," Sarin said. The decision follows a latest incident reported at the sub-divisional hospital in Kharar on October 24, when a woman medical officer, Dr Harsharanpreet Kaur, was allegedly assaulted by a patient while on night duty. Under the PHSC order, the salaries of security guards at 34 sub-divisional hospitals will be funded through the Emergency Response Fund (ERF). The corporation will provide the necessary funds to the respective district health authorities. The remaining seven hospitals - Tappa, Talwandi Sabo, Zira, Malout, Nabha, Rajpura and Samana - will meet the expenditure from their own user charges. The director of health services has also been directed to ensure adequate budgetary provision for the financial year 2027-28 to facilitate salary payments from April 2027 onwards....