Madurai: Government Rajaji Hospital (GRH), Madurai, the largest tertiary care center in southern Tamil Nadu with a daily footfall of over 10,000 people, will introduce a tag system for visitors, among other measures aimed to strengthen security. However, due to the lack of security personnel, the implementation of visitor restrictions remains a concern.
HRM dean Dr L Arul Sundaresh Kumar told TOI that security measures have been tightened since the rape and murder of a female resident PG doctor at RG Kar Medical College in Kolkata in August. He said Coverage of CCTV cameras was improved and dark areas illuminated after an inspection by the city’s police commissioner. “We have also started giving passes in the form of pink and yellow cards with the patient’s name and date to visitors to restrict them. Now, a uniform tag system will soon be put in place so that officers security and police can use it for identification,” he added. .
As the GRH is very busy and has several entrances, imposing restrictions promises to be a challenge. “Patient attendants tend to be emotional and some family members come in groups. As patients and visitors enter and exit through multiple entry points, for a tag system this also needs to be streamlined. separate waiting rooms must be provided.” said a GRH security officer.
However, health activist C Anand Raj called for a thorough study on crowd management before implementing such a system. “There should be more emphasis on increasing security personnel rather than restricting visitors,” he stressed.
TNGDA state president Dr K Senthil said if visibility of police and security personnel improved, incidents of attack on doctors could be avoided. “Furthermore, CCTV cameras should not only be installed but also closely monitored,” he said.
The HRM dean said that CCTV cameras are functioning at various locations as per the National Medical Commission (NMC) guidelines but more are being added if necessary. “CCTV cameras are monitored by the GRH police, and the telephone numbers of police personnel on duty are also shared so that everyone can seek help directly. The rest rooms reserved for hospital staff on duty have also been moved to conspicuous areas or equipped with CCTV cameras instead of corner rooms,” added Dr Arul. He said security escorts were provided to doctors, especially women, during the night and police also conducted rounds.