Private hospital in Kochi to provide martial arts training to female staff, other women

Kochi, Aug 21 (PTI) In the wake of the rape and murder of a resident doctor at a hospital in Kolkata, a private hospital here has decided to provide martial arts training for all of its female staff and women across the state.

The VPS Lakeshore Hospital here has set aside Rs 50 lakh, as an initial amount, for implementing the initiative across the state, it said in a release.

"The training programme will be mandatory for all female staff, underscoring the hospital's commitment to creating a safe and secure environment for its workforce," the release said.

It further said that the martial arts training will be provided to women across the state by collaborating with local bodies and with the state government's support.

In the initial phase, the hospital plans to train approximately 50,000 women, besides its own female staff, within six months, free of charge, the release said.

"Through this initiative, the hospital aims to instill confidence and resilience in our team. The hospital believes that martial arts training will not only enhance their physical defence capabilities but also boost their mental strength.

"Trained individuals will be deployed in schools, corporate offices and other areas to train more women in the workforce," the release said.

In addition to the martial arts training programme, the hospital will distribute safety kits containing protective items like pepper spray to all women, including non-employees, it said.

Besides these initiatives, the hospital has also developed its own mobile application featuring a dedicated SOS function and designed to transmit the user’s live location to the hospital’s security desk and selected HODs, ensuring authorities are instantly alerted in an emergency, the release said. PTI HMP HMP ANE