HYDERABAD: Recent cases of baby abductions have put pressure on officials to change security systems in hospitals. In the most-recent case, the abducted baby was recovered from Bidar after timely intervention by parents and police. Now, authorities are mulling changing ways in which people are allowed into hospitals where newborns will be immunised.
Currently, babies are immunised at a designated place -- those born in the hospital and out-patients. While going out, security personnel ask for discharge summary of the patient or immunisation card. Only after checking this are people allowed to leave the hospital with a baby. Now, officials found that in the last case, the kidnapper showed the baby’s immunisation card.
She had taken the baby from the mother under the pretext of getting her vaccinated, along with her immunisation card. To fix such loopholes, the Director of Medical Education, Dr K Ramesh Reddy, has sent out a circular to superintendents of all hospitals, calling for changes. According to it, immunisation for in-patients, from now, will be done by the bedside itself.
“A separate space will be allotted for infants who are brought as out-patients. Those born in the hospital will be immunised by the bedside. A few days later, a review meeting will be held to check if the measures are implemented,” Dr Ramesh Reddy said. Besides, police department has also recommended a few changes to hospital security systems. “We have recommended a segregation of in-patients and out-patients; also the introduction of a visitor management system, where visitors have to register their names and take an ID card before being allowed inside,” said East Zone DCP Ramesh.
“This is because staff willing to take bribes might cut off electric wires of the CCTV cameras or tilt them away from the crime scene,” said an official. The recommendations have been sent to Hyderabad Police commissioner Anjani Kumar who, in turn, will communicate it to Health Department officials or hospitals authorities.
New block at Koti Maternity hosp to be ready by Aug
The new block at Government Maternity Hospital would be ready for inauguration by first week of August. The block will provide more space for admitting more pregnant women and will have space to accommodate attendants. Director of Medical Education Dr K Ramesh Reddyinstructed engineers to complete it by July 25.
