In wake of increasing vehicle thefts and an alleged incident in which a sick patient was forcibly evicted and put on the streets, the Coimbatore Medical College (CMCH) has now strengthened the video surveillance system on their premises.
The network of Closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras has now been refurbished with non-functional ones having been repaired or replaced.
Further, new sophisticated high-definition cameras, capable of zooming in to number plates, have been added now to enhance security, Hospital Dean A. Edwin Joe told The Hindu here on Saturday.
The tertiary referral centre, CMCH treated anywhere between 7,000 and 8,000 outpatients every day besides 1,480 in-patients.
HD cameras
As many as 16 HD-capable cameras have been placed at locations identified as sensitive by the City Police. They include the vehicle parking lots, entry and exit points besides critical areas such as trauma wards and neo-natal intensive care unit, obstetrics and gynaecology, paediatric ICU, where there is risk of child theft.
Their feeds are given to police outpost on the hospital premises as well as the Dean’s chamber. The footage will be stored for a week. These footage were used to solve a vehicle theft case and two cases of false theft complaints for insurance fraud, he added.
Medical Superintendent B. Asokan said that a total of 62 cameras are monitoring on the hospital premises. They cover all the sensitive locations.
Further, he said that the hospital has now installed a public address (PA) system that is being used to spread message such as asking patients not to spit on the hospital premises and to wash hands besides asking doctors to come for meetings. Further, the cable lines of intercom system, which had been damaged due to the ongoing construction works, have also been refurbished.
