The Free Press Journal

With no security guards and no CCTV cameras, Ambedkar Hospital is free for all

- SWAPNIL MISHRA

If you are robbed, mugged inside the premises or in the event of patient partydocto­r clash at Dr Baba Sahed Ambedkar Hospital run by the Central Railways, expect no immediate help from the authoritie­s.

In the absence of security guard or no CCTV cameras installed that entrance of the hospital gates or inside its premises, such technical helps are out of question and both doctors and patients are under constant fear.

Under such conditions, patients admitted to the hospital are not getting proper treatment and the medical staff working in the hospital are facing security risk.

The hospital staff believe that such a scenario is in place at the hospital due to negligence by the administra­tion particular­ly over the security arrangemen­ts.

“Due to lack of security, one doctor was attacked by a patient’s relative last month. The hospital belongs to the Central government but there is zero security system,” a senior doctor said.

The doctor said security guards are very less in number and hardly seen in the hospital, due to which there is no restrictio­n for anyone to enter in the hospital.

“In the name of security, very few Railway Police Force (RPF) personnel were detailed on the premises. But there are no security guard at the entrance of the hospital gate to stop anyone or verifying people entering the hospital premises. The staff are working under a fear psychosis,” the doctor said.

Since the last eight years, the doctors and hospital staff have been demanding installati­on of CCTV cameras outside the sensitive wards (gynaecolog­y, paediatric­s and maternity) but the administra­tion has not paid any heed to the demands. “Even after getting assurance from the administra­tion, not a single CCTV camera has been installed anywhere on the hospital premises,” said Pawan Sharma, a ward boy.

Narendra Patil, the Chief Public Relations Officer of Central Railways; however, said they have floated tenders for the CCTV cameras and providing security personnel on the hospital premises.

“The tender process has been started for installati­on of CCTV cameras in the hospital and for deployment of private security personnel. After the CCTV camera installati­ons, deploying of security personnel will follow,” Patil said.

One of the relatives of a patient admitted to the hospital told the Free Press Journal that patients are not getting appropriat­e treatment and most often the doctors missed their rounds to check on the patients. “Since there is no security in the hospital, we have to stay up the whole night to keep a watch on our belongings. Most of the time, we have to ward off stray dogs and cats roaming inside the patients’ arena. We fear the animals will bite patients and infect them,” the relative added.

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 ??  ?? CLOCKWISE FROM LEFT: The female surgery ward, a dilapidate­d room and the entry gate of Dr Baba Saheb Ambedkar Hospital at Byculla.
CLOCKWISE FROM LEFT: The female surgery ward, a dilapidate­d room and the entry gate of Dr Baba Saheb Ambedkar Hospital at Byculla.
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