Ludhiana, Dec. 31 -- The Ludhiana civil hospital is set to get 12 security guards as the government has approved the deployment of 200 security guards across district hospitals in the state. According to an official order issued by Punjab Health Systems Corporation (PHSC) on Wednesday, the security personnel will be hired through an outsourcing agency - Punjab Ex-Servicemen Corporation (PESCO). Their salaries will be paid from the Emergency Response Fund (ERF) for an initial period of two months (January and February), after which the funding mechanism is expected to be reviewed in the new financial year.

The decision comes against the backdrop of growing concerns over hospital safety, crowd control and protection of medical staff and pa...