Mumbai: Finally, BMC gets cracking on securing its hospitals

BMC wants security apparatus la private hospitals where visitors are limited; plans to hire retired army personnel for management

Mumbai: Finally, BMC gets cracking on securing its hospitals

Security personnel seen at Sion hospital. File pic

The civic body now wants to run the security in its four major civic hospitals like that of private hospitals by restricting the entry of visitors and issuing visitor passes. It will hire retired Army personnel to manage the operations.

According to civic officials, patients' relatives will be vetted at the entrance, near elevators and at the entrance of general wards to prevent overcrowding, civic sources said. Army personnel, who are trained in managing huge crowds and can vet prospective visitors will form an integral part of the plan.

Only one relative will be allowed inside the hospital with the patient and the number of visitors during visiting hours will be limited too. Currently, it is only at the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation's (BMC) headquarters that people are allowed inside only with a pass, for which they must reveal their identity and the department they wish to visit. It is also compulsory for BMC employees to display their official ID cards while entering.

A senior civic official said, "Overcrowding is a hindrance for doctors, especially during emergencies. The commissioner wants the security to be just like that of private hospitals where no one can easily sneak inside the hospital."

BMC will start by limiting the number of relatives and keeping an eye on Casualty and Emergency wards which usually experience overcrowding. BMC chief Praveen Pardeshi has instructed the deputy municipal commissioner of security (additional charge), P S Rahangdale to rope in retired armed forces at the earliest. P S Rahangdale was not available for comment.

Recently, mid-day reported about a vada-pav stall employee from across Sion hospital, who entered a ward and drew blood from a patient using a syringe in his possession. While authorities at Lokmanya Tilak Memorial General (LTMG) Hospital are inquiring into the incident, the BMC wants to beef up security and plans to remind doctors to wear ID cards around their necks to build confidence among the patients' kin.

The four major hospitals to get the beefed-up security are LTMG hospital, R N Cooper Municipal General Hospital, B Y L Nair Hospital, and KEM Hospital.

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No. of major civic hospitals where security will be beefed up

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