THE LACK of security at state hospitals has been raised yet again after a man entered the hospital and attacked a nurse over the weekend.
In the incident, the man stabbed himself and a nurse with surgical scissors after being brought in for stitches.
The Justice and Health Ministers yesterday presided over a meeting with all relevant bodies to examine ways of improving the situation.
New measures have already been decided on, which will be submitted to the Cabinet for approval.
Following the meeting, Health Minister Costas Kadis said the decision had been made to enforce stricter security in the hospitals’ entrances; especially the ER department.
Another measure was to install CCTV cameras around the hospitals to monitor all activities that are taking place.
“Regarding manpower, our proposal is to employ and train special policemen,” said Kadis. “These measures are based on a survey carried out by the police force of Cyprus, which is willing to take on the training part of the officers so that they can do the best job possible.”
The proposals, he added, would be submitted to the Cabinet before the end of October, “possibly during its next sitting”.
The CCTV cameras and stricter security measures will come into force as soon as the proposal is approved, said Kadis. He pointed out, however, that having specially trained officers was a decision that needed to be examined and discussed by the police.
The Justice Minister Sophocles Sophocleous expressed his reservations over positioning policemen in the buildings.
Sophocleous said it would be a difficult measure that needed planning and examination.
“We have committed to meeting again at the end of the week so at least on part of the Justice Ministry, police and fire services, we can re-examine the measures and make our own specifications and proposals on how to offer better security to the area,” said Sophocleous, adding: “If it is necessary we have agreed to take on the training of some persons.”
As a proposal, stationing security guards in the island’s hospitals sounds good, said the minister. But he pointed out that it was not an easy measure to enforce.
“It must be discussed. It is not just one officer in ER; five or six officers will be needed with a rotating 24-hour rota. And we are not just talking about Nicosia general hospital. The discussion concerned all state hospitals in Cyprus.”
Either way, the President of Nicosia Hospital’s Nursing Staff, Giorgos Flourenzos, called for immediate measures to protect hospital staff from the anxiety they have to go through on a daily basis.
“We have told the two ministers that they must hold a new meeting to re-examine some of the proposals made, in the presence of police and fire services, within the next four to five days, because there are around 50 to 60 entrances to the hospital, which we must find ways restrict access to,” Flourenzos pointed out.
“We have suggested that at least at nights, the ER departments of all hospitals should have a policeman. Also, when an ambulance is transporting a patient, who they already know is inebriated, for the police to come there and evaluate the situation.”
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