Hospital to install 150 surveillance cameras

SHARJAH // One hundred and fifty surveillance cameras are being installed in Al Qassimi Hospital to monitor workers and improve security.

The cameras are being placed in corridors and outpatient departments, accident and emergency units, at entrances and exits, and in each clinic, as well as other spots, said Dr Arif Al Noryani, the hospital's chief executive.

"All cameras will be connected to the central operations room," he said.

"The administration will always turn to the cameras in any case of emergency or whenever a reference is needed."

He said installing the cameras would cost up to Dh200,000 and take about seven weeks.

Dr Al Noryani said the hospital was also working to shorten waiting times for patients. Administrators plan to increase the number of doctors and nurses in various departments this year, including accident and emergency. The hospital has only eight doctors yet receives 250 to 300 cases a day, he said.

"Unfortunately several cases that turn up to emergency are just simple medical checks that don't warrant the congestion at the department," he said.

"Staff in the department know that priority is always to be given to critical cases like accidents, strokes and heart-related emergencies to save lives."

He said the hospital had recently interviewed a number of nurses, and eight had already been appointed by the Ministry of Health and would be joining the staff soon.

In general, Dr Al Noryani said, patients should be understanding if their case was not an emergency.

"They complain of staying in queues for an hour or two but I know some hospitals where one has to wait for about eight hours," he said.

ykakande@thenational.ae