One extra guard to improve security at hospital

The plans were revealed yesterday by the hospital's manager, José María Campuzano.
He had talks yesterday with Joan Gual, chairman of the Balearic College of Physicians, to discuss concern over staff security which has led to two days of demonstrations outside the hospital. It was during one of these protests that a staff member was attacked by a man, annoyed that he had been waiting four hours for an X-ray.

Campuzano said that most of the problems arose in the casualty ward and were often caused by relatives of people receiving treatment.
He said that work would soon start to improve the circulation of patients and security in the casualty ward.
There will also be a new protocol to restrict access of relatives to the casualty ward. There will also be separate accesses for child and adult patients.

Campuzano said that the extra security guard would bring the total up to six, which was “60 per cent more than two and a half years ago.” Other “passive” security measures which had been introduced during the same period included security cameras, alarm bells for employees and doors which needed magnetic cards to gain entry, he added.

Gual is also expected to discuss security matters with the chief prosecutor of the Balearics, Bartomeu Barcelo, at a meeting this morning.
He will ask for attacks on medical staff to be treated as attacks and not misdemeanours which means they would incur heavier fines and possibly a jail sentence.

Gual and Campuzano have been meeting on a regular basis to discuss security problems at the hospital.