Bhubaneswar, April 17 -- In a major step towards ensuring the safety and security of healthcare professionals, the Odisha government on Friday announced a comprehensive plan to strengthen security arrangements across medical institutions in the state.

As part of the initiative, dedicated security officers will be deployed in all 14 government medical colleges. These officers will be of senior ranks, including Additional Superintendent of Police (ASP), Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP), or Deputy Commandant, and will be responsible for overseeing security management within the campuses.

In addition to medical colleges, district headquarters hospitals will also see enhanced security presence. Officers of Inspector rank will be appoint...