Nimhans shootout: Hospital forms committee to look into security

Bengaluru: Shaken by the Sunday incident on its campus in which a mentally challenged undertrial prisoner Vishwanath, who was neutralised by armed commandoes after he had snatched a policeman's rifle and started firing indiscriminately, the National Institute of Mental Health & Neuro Sciences (Nimhans) has set up an internal committee headed by Director in-charge Dr G.S. Uma Maheshwar Rao to look into the security aspects of wards, where high-risk patients from prisons are admitted for psychiatric evaluation and treatment.

Dr Rao told Deccan Chronicle that the incident had raised serious security concerns among the doctors, hospital staff, patients and their families.

He said, “We are all very concerned about the safety of our doctors, staff and patients at the institute. It was an unprecedented event and we need to ensure that such incidents are not repeated. We have formed an internal committee to look into the security issues, especially of wards, where high-risk patients from the prison are admitted for treatment.”

He said that once the committee makes its recommendations they may discuss them with the police and prison officials. The committee is headed by the in-charge director and comprises the Medical Superintendent, Resident Medical Officer, Dean and Head of the Psychiatry Department. Mentally ill prisoners are routinely referred to Nimhans for treatment and are escorted to the institute from the prison by armed policemen from the City Armed Reserve.