As authorities of the Connaught Hospital become suspicious of the mass influx of rude visitors at the hospital, who pose as relatives of patients, they have solicited the help of two police officers to help scrutinize and control the inflow of visitors at the hospital.
In a brief discussion with the Caretaker Manager of the Hospital Dr Desmond Olu Black, on the rationale behind the assignment of the police officers to that Hospital, he said, the decision was taken in both the interest of the staff and the patients who had a lot of difficulties with visitors who are not time conscious.
“The stipulated time for visitors is between 4 to 6pm everyday but some visitors always flout it for reason best known to themselves” he said.
Recently he said, there was a confrontation between the local security officers at the Hospital and some aggressive visitors who had wanted to forcefully penetrate their way into the Hospital, resulting in some security officers being seriously beaten up.
“We deemed it necessary to bring in police officers to help mann our gates because the confrontation was becoming persistent especially the last one which ended up in physical confrontation that left some officers injured” he confirmed.
Dr. Black further explained that, Doctors and Nurses had on several occasions complained of the inconveniences they face in treating patients in the presence of visitors who might not want to excuse them for an inch to properly diagnose them, to administer the right treatment to them.
Again he said there are reported cases of theft in the Hospital that had brought unwarranted suspicion among staff, patients and visitors in the Hospital – but with new security measures he said, all the suspicion would be laid to rest.
Some visitors he said, argued that they prepare home food for their patients, but observed that some relatives or visitors are very stubborn because they have got nutritionists in the Hospital who could better prescribe appropriate diet for the patients as most of them are on special diet. He added that , the hospital caters for all the patients in that hospital in terms of special and general nutrition, to avoid any aggravation of ailment from feeding on outside food that are not properly prepared. Speaking to one of the assigned police officers, Joseph Luseni, he said since they took over the security at that Hospital things are gradually taking shape.
By Solomon Rogers
ADVERTISEMENT