State hospitals fail security test

In 2009, after Mohan Nerurkar’s four-day-old was abducted from Sion hospital’s maternity ward, he filed a petition in the high court to beef up security in hospitals.

The Bombay high court issued a set of 23 guidelines to protect helpless infants from abductors. A day after a seven-month-old boy was kidnapped from Cama and Albless hospital, DNA visited six public hospitals to check if the guidelines were being followed. They found is that while most of the civic hospitals have a good security set-up, state-run hospitals neither have basic security measures in place nor were the administrators aware of the rules. “Healthcare for the poor is the last priority for the government. If VIPs frequented these hospitals, they would have all security measures in place. Not following the court order, I feel, is clearly contempt of court,” said Amit Karkhanis, Nerurkar’s advocate

Cama and Albless hospital,  South Bombay (government hospital)
This hospital fails to follow most of the high court guidelines. Though the CCTV cameras were placed on strategic locations, they do not record any footage. There were only two security guards at the main gate, who were busy chatting when the reporter was there. There were two warning boards on child theft put up at the far end of the hospital (picture on left). There were no guards posted at the entrance of the wards, which were partially closed. The hospital, however, pasted sketches of the alleged abductor of the seven-month-old on most of its walls. Dr Rajashree Katke, medical superintendent, refused to accept that her hospital lacked proper security measures. “We have CCTV cameras, put up warning boards and posted security guards. But, parents should be more careful,” she said.

Nowrosjee Wadia Maternity Hospital
Parel (semi-government)
The maternity ward at Wadia hospital — at least when this reporter was there — was unguarded. There were a couple of nurses sitting inside, but no security personnel. When the reporter asked the nurses for directions to the ward, they pointed the way without asking any questions. While one of the two doors to the maternity ward was locked, the other was open. There were no CCTV cameras to be seen near the maternity ward either. When DNA asked BP Sharma, CEO of the hospital, about the absence of CCTV cameras, he said: “We have placed the orders for CCTV cameras and they will be set up in the next couple of months. We are not a state hospital, we are partly run by the trust, which is why we did not get the circular about the guidelines.”

Veer Savarkar hospital
Mulund (BMC hospital)
When the reporter visited the hospital, security guards were present at the entrance and even outside the wards. Those posted outside the wards checked the identity cards of every person. Posters warning people of child theft were pasted almost everywhere, even in the OPD. CCTVs were strategically placed and monitored by the guards

KB Bhabha Hospital,
Bandra West (BMC hospital)
At the hospital main entrance, there was a notice put up that the premises were being monitored by CCTV cameras. There was also a CCTV camera placed right outside the maternity ward. There was a woman guard inside the maternity ward, which has only one door, who would check the identity cards of all those entering the ward.

VN Desai Hospital,
Santa Cruz East (BMC hospital)
There was no woman security guard posted at the maternity ward, but the adjacent pediatrics ward had one. The door to the maternity ward was kept locked and a board said that relatives of patients were not allowed inside. The reporter did not spot a CCTV camera near the maternity ward. But, a doctor from the hospital, claimed that there were cameras placed at strategic locations on the floor. There were no security personnel at the entrance of the hospital.

Rajawadi hospital,
Ghatkopar (BMC hospital)
This hospital is a perfect example of BMC’s concern with security issues. There was an iron grille with a guard manning the gate at the labour ward. The nurses kept a hawk’s eye on the people in the ward. When the reporter tried to enter the ward, the guard said: “Only one relative is allowed. Please name the patient and we will ask the relative to meet you outside.” While CCTV cameras were set up at strategic locations, biometric identification of the infants was still in the planning stage.