Karnataka - Bangalore

Are the city’s hospitals up to it?

Bangalore: In September this year, a 15-day-old baby girl was kidnapped from a ward in the state-run Vani Vilas Hospital. A few months before that, another newborn went missing from K.C. General Hospital in Malleswaram.

What has kidnapped babies to do with terror? For one thing, it raises several pertinent questions about security in State Government hospitals given that terrorists simultaneously target hospitals also.

Following the incidents, the hospital authorities did take some steps to tighten security by deploying more guards and strictly monitoring the entry of visitors. Though they are gearing up to meet any emergency situation, their main concern is to monitoring the flow of visitors and patients’ attendants, given the multiple entry and exit points.

Two days after the Mumbai terror attacks, the heads of all the government-run hospitals met to review the security measures and gear up for emergencies. “Though we have already tightened security and are insisting on patients’ attendants showing their identity cards, the (main issue) was the various entries and exits to the hospitals,” said G.T. Subash, Dean and Director of Bangalore Medical College and Research Institute

The doctors will soon meet Home Minister V.S. Acharya and request him to deploy at least two policemen round-the-clock in each government hospital, Dr. Subash said.

In terms of emergency healthcare, Victoria and Bowring have emergency wards, which can handle more than 150 patients at a time. But there is always a shortage of doctors, he said.

The corporate hospitals are not taking any chances either to ensure foolproof security on their premises.

Narayana Hrudalaya, where 25 per cent of the patients are foreigners, has 200 closed circuit cameras and metal detectors.

“Though it is difficult to check everything that patients carry into the hospital, we are beefing up security,” said Devi Shetty, Chairman of Narayana Hrudayalaya.

Vishal Bali, CEO of Wockhardt Hospitals, said security measures were part of the infrastructure in all the Wockhardt hospitals.

“We have access cards to all critical areas such as the ICU and operation theatres. That apart, we have professional security arrangement,” he said.

All the entry points at M.S Ramaiah Hospital have been barricaded.

“We have round-the-clock security and all the entries are closed except the main gate after 9 p.m.,” said Naresh Shetty, Medical Director and Associate Dean.

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