Cuttack, April 16: SCB Medical College and Hospital authorities have decided to tighten security on the campus for the safety of patients and medical staff.

Nearly 50 per cent of the hospital campus will be covered by closed circuit television (CCTV) cameras for this purpose.

The authorities have identified seven important locations, including emergency casualty and trauma care, gynaecology, two entry and exit points, outpatient department and other strategic areas, to install the CCTV cameras.

Multiple cameras would be installed at certain places keeping in view the patient turnout, the space of each department and sensitivity of the location.

Swastha Bikash Samiti, the monitoring body for SCB hospital, has approved the proposal to install advanced surveillance systems and other special measures for streamlining vehicular traffic on the hospital campus.

"Closed-circuit television cameras will shortly be installed at the seven locations in the first phase at an estimated cost of Rs 20 lakh," said SCB administrative officer Pratap Mishra.

Apart from this, a round-the-clock diagnostic centre will soon be made functional inside the hospital.

Hospital officials said that at present, a few diagnostic facilities, including CT scan and ultrasounds, are not possible after 7pm.

The 24-hour facility will come to the rescue the critically ill patients who earlier had to depend on private diagnostic centres outside the hospital.

A single window system to facilitate patients to get e-tickets issued for seeking medical facilities will be soon available in all departments.

At present, computerised tickets are being issued only in the outpatient department. The decentralisation will enable patients to get an entry ticket for seeking medical facilities at multiple locations within the hospital.

"A patient can get computerised tickets from anywhere in the hospital and then can seek medical attention at various departments. This will save time because earlier, patients had to line up before the 10 counters at the outpatient departments for tickets," said Madhusmita Rout, an attendant.

Mishra said the premier state-run hospital would clamp restrictions on the movement of vehicles with by making the stretch from Mangalabag and Ranihat gates "no vehicle zone" to provide adequate space for patients, attendants, medical staff and the movement of indoor ambulances.

Senior officials said since the main road connecting Mangalabag on the eastern side with Ranihat on the western side is being used a public thoroughfare, it was creating problems for those coming to the hospital.

Though the police had installed temporary barricades to check private vehicles, a complete check has not been possible, especially when it came to two-wheelers.

The issue of idle parking by private ambulances has also emerged as another area of concern on the SCB premises.

The hospital has also proposed to create a separate entry from near Acharya Harihar Regional Cancer Centre to put a check on the issue of overcrowding at the main entrance on the Mangalabag side.