Jorhat, Jan. 19: The Jorhat Medical College and Hospital (JMCH) has started "real-time monitoring" of its casualty ward.

The authorities will be able to view activities in the ward, through "live streaming" on their cell phones from anywhere.

A casualty ward is usually located at the entrance of a hospital and it sees a lot of activities as patients needing immediate medical attention because of road mishaps or life-threatening cases are brought in. Most of time the atmosphere in and outside the ward is emotionally charged, often resulting in altercation between the staff and attendants.

Professor and head of the biochemistry department, Saurabh Borkotoki, who holds the charge of JMCH superintendent, told The Telegraph today four cameras were installed at the casualty ward a week back.

A few years back, over 30 CCTV cameras were installed in the institute to allow the authorities to view recordings from their office chambers.

Borkotoki said authorised staff could see real-timer feed of the activities at the casualty ward by downloading the relevant app on their cell phones.

Explaining the reason behind the new initiative in the casualty ward, Borkotoki said this ward was a very demanding and sensitive one with emergency cases keep coming round-the-clock.

Attendants of such patients most of the times get annoyed if there is a slight delay in getting response from the hospital staff and doctors because of pre-engagement with an earlier case or absence of adequate paramedical staff or doctors, which results in altercation in the hospital, he added.

"The new monitoring system could help in immediately verifying any complaint of negligence, if any, on the part of the hospital staff and show acts of vandalism which is often done by attendants of patients," Borkotoki said.

The professor said the live monitoring system could be extended to other wards.

The hospital has opened a cashless counter too based on the directive of the government.

The superintendent said the process of setting up a state-of-the-art viral research diagnostic laboratory was on.

Borkotoki said once the laboratory gets installed, tests for H1N1 virus (swine flu) could be done at the institute.

In Upper Assam, only Regional Medical Research Centre at Lahowal in Dibrugarh has the facility.

He said the authorities has undertaken an initiative to beautify the old pond on the institute campus with the assistance of CRPF personnel.

The institute, the foundation of which was laid by former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in August 25, 2008, had started MBBS course in 2010.

The institute has over 20 departments with over 150 teachers and about 500 students. The nursing staff strength is over 340.

The third batch of MBBS degree holders and the first batch of post-graduates will pass out later this year.