About Me

My photo
Hyderabad, Telangana, India
Journalist

Monday, May 24, 2010

Hyderabad: Security buzz at hospitals

Waking up to the security needs after the kidnap of a six-day infant from a private hospital at Chaderghat recently, city hospitals are strengthening the security apparatus to avoid such incidents.Both government and private hospitals are planning to enhance the security on their premises while a few of them are even considering installing surveillance cameras.Dr Zaibunnisa’s Imtiyaz Hospital at New Malakpet, from where the infant was kidnapped, has decided to go for Closed-Circuit Television (CCTV) cameras to monitor the movement of visitors.Hospital manager Amer Akbar told Expresso that they will soon be having five woman and seven male security personnel guarding the patients and premises. “The kidnap was an unfortunate incident but it ended on a happy note. To prevent such incidents in future, we have decided to hire private security personnel and instal CCTVs at strategic points in the hospital,” he said.Meanwhile, the government hospitals, including the Niloufer and maternity hospital, have increased the head count of their security staff. This correspondent, when he tried to visit a few wards in these hospitals, was promptly stopped by the security guards. Visitors were being allowed only to the out-patient (OP) wards.“After the kidnap at the Imtiyaz hospital, we have instructed all the security personnel to keep a strict vigil on the visitors and maintain a register to record details of visitors, attendants and relatives of patients visiting the hospital. Besides, there is a police outpost at the hospital. If necessary, we will also instal CCTVs to track the visitors,” Niloufer hospital Resident Medical Officer (RMO) Usha Rani said. The Government Maternity Hospital, Nayapul also has tight security in place and visitors are not being allowed into maternity and other emergency wards. “We issue entry passes to visitors and patient relatives. Our security staff will permit only the pass-holders to go inside the maternity ward, intensive care and emergency care units,” said Dr Hymavathi, RMO.At the Gandhi general hospital, however, things are very different. In the absence of any security, theft of personal belongings of patients and attendants is quite common there. When approached, the hospital authorities were reluctant to speak on the security arrangements.The hospital caters not only to the needs of the city folk but also to patients from surrounding districts.Meanwhile, Hyderabad District Medical and Health Officer Dr Jayakumari said they have asked the managements of all hospitals, private and government, to take precautionary measures to prevent any untoward incidents. 

Family disputes behind infant's abduction? 
Even as the Chaderghat police are still in the dark about the motive behind the kidnap of an infant on Monday, they do not rule out family disputes being the reason for the abduction.The six-day-old baby, kidnapped by two women from Dr. Zaibunnisa's Imtiyaz Hospital at Chaderghat, was found abandoned, in a bag, at Madhapur on Tuesday.Police suspect that the differences between the infant’s mother, who came back to the city from Saudi Arabia, and her in-laws could have led to the kidnap. Special teams are on a hunt for the two accused.

Mouli Mareedu
moulimareedu@gmail.com

No comments: