Ruia Hospital turns hub for miscreants due to lack of Surveillance System

25 CC cameras were sanctioned almost a year ago, yet to be installed
Tirupati: Security lapses and lack of surveillance system in SVR Ruia Hospital have become a serious menace and the apathetic attitude of the authorities concerned resulting in abnormal delay in installing the CC cameras in the premises. The incidents of mugging were quite common in the hospital. Three days back two computers and two CPUs were snatched away by strangers from the OPD pharmacy.

It’s a normal scene in Ruia hospital that patients’ attendants are seen complaining to the authorities that they lost their money and other valuables during night time. An attendant of a patient came from Kodur said that she lost Rs.6500 and mobile phone while sleeping. There are many such instances.

In the last week of December 2016 an unidentified person’s body was found completely burnt inside the toilet near mortuary. Later a dead body was found at a remote area in the premises. And the thieves are simply staying with others as if they were also attendants and when everyone is asleep they snatch something and leave.

The hospital established in a sprawling 200 acres has grown horizontally. The 1020 bedded hospital has 800-1000 inpatients at any given time and on an average 1500-1800 out patients avail treatment. On the whole it is frequented by over 5000 people. Various departments were scattered each at a distant place. It has become a tough task for the authorities and security personnel to keep vigilance in the hospital.

Due to this, even the doctors, nurses, house surgeons and other staff are also scared of moving from one block to another during nights as it has become a hunting ground for the miscreants. There would be a minimum half kilometer to more than one kilometer from one block to another and in between there was no movement of people during nights. Several incidents were taking place in the hospital and the culprits could not be identified.

The surveillance through CCTV can be done effectively to monitor large areas. Patients and employees can feel safe. It will also provide visual evidence in case of incidents. Though security personnel were employed it is very difficult to monitor the proceedings in such a vast campus.

If someone snatches the infants from the pediatrics block who will be responsible asked one doctor. But, Dr Manohar of Paediatrics department said that security personnel were there in shifts and there would be no problem. However, CC cameras are essential and they have identified four places to install them. As the Paediatrics wing has no X-ray machine the children are to be taken to the emergency block for the purpose. Anything may happen in between. So the CC Cameras are much needed in the premises, he asserted.

To provide the fool proof surveillance system, 25 CC cameras were sanctioned almost one year back. During the Hospital Development Committee (HDC) then collector Siddarth Jain directed the authorities to go for e-tenders and install the CC cameras. Places for installation also were identified. But almost after one year the net result is a big zero.

Speaking to The Hans, the Superintendent of Ruia Hospital Dr B Sidda Naik said, the administrative sanctions for the installation of 25 cameras with Rs.25 lakhs budget were given through Collector who is the HDC Chairman to Andhra Pradesh Medical Services & Infrastructure Development Corporation (APMSIDC). They have initiated the tender process and will be completed very soon.

By V Pradeep Kumar