Unsung Heroes in Managing COVID 19 Pandemic in India: the Changed Role of Security Guards in Hospitals

Security guards or officers are employed to protect and prevent the people, property, equipment, money and others from nearly all type of hazards in each setting. Hospitals especially with emergency services i.e., secondary and tertiary healthcare facilities are now staffed with security guards. The security guards are responsible primarily for protecting the doctors, nurses and other staffs from violence against them, interpersonal violence and property of a hospital round the clock. They control and manage the movement of people and vehicles, restrict the number of accompanying people, enforce anti-smoking measures and other policies in a hospital. They are mainly posted at the entry points of the hospital buildings, registration counters, different wards, OPDs, and at main entry and exit gate of an institute. In times of outbreaks and pandemics, the security personnel can be an important helping hand in mitigating the spread of infection. This manuscript discusses the extended and expanded role of security guards in control of COVID-19 in hospital settings.