Rims to downsize home guards by half for 'poor performance'

Ranchi: The Rajendra Institute of Medical Sciences (Rims), Ranchi, would downsize its home guards by half due to "unsatisfactory performance" and "regular absenteeism", authorities said.

The move follows health minister Irfan Ansari's visit to the hospital.

Rims PRO Rajiv Ranjan said, "We face severe staff crunch when guards are deployed for external duties like elections, rallies, or events. Additionally, many guards are frequently found absent from their posts without authorisation. Their overall performance has been consistently below par."

"The administration plans to retain only those meeting performance standards, with private security agencies filling the resulting vacancies. This is part of our broader initiative to enhance hospital security and operational efficiency," he added.

The administration is yet to announce a timeline for implementing the changes. Of the 400-strong home guard personnel deployed in Rims at present, around 200 are women. Meanwhile, a woman home guard said, "We were caught off guard by news reports about this decision as we are yet to receive any formal notice. We approached the health minister with apology, though we are unclear about our alleged shortcomings."

Some home guards view the move as indicative of a larger transformation at Rims. "The institution appears to be moving toward privatization. The introduction of parking fees suggests increasing commercialisation," noted one guard.