Patiala, June 9 -- A proposal by the Punjab health department to deploy nearly 900 security personnel across government hospitals has been put on hold after the state finance department raised objections and sought detailed data on recent incidents of violence against medical staff, officials familiar with the matter said.

The proposal, aimed at strengthening security at 23 district hospitals, 42 sub-divisional hospitals and 65 community health centres (CHCs) that operate round the clock, was submitted for financial clearance. The department has asked the health department to first provide information on the number of assaults on doctors reported in the last two years, as well as action taken by police in those cases.

"Provide details o...