Tamil Nadu is set to introduce a color-coded tag system for patient attendants in all government medical colleges, district hospitals, and taluk hospitals.
The new system aims to improve safety and monitoring within hospitals. It will use four colors to indicate patient areas: green for attendants of patients in surgical super specialties, red for those in Intensive Care Units, yellow for super specialty departments, and blue for general wards.
Key Features of the Tag System:
Color-coded tags to indicate patient areas
Two tags per patient for attendants
Metal detectors and baggage scanners in select hospitals
Enhanced police presence across all hospitals
Joint security audits conducted by police and health departments
These decisions are being implemented by the health directorates to ensure safety and maintain trust in our healthcare system.
Ma Subramanian, State Health Minister, Tamil Nadu
This decision comes after a violent incident in hospital involving a government oncologist in Chennai, where Dr. Balaji Jagannathan was stabbed multiple times by the son of a cancer patient he had treated.
In addition to the tag system, metal detectors and baggage scanners will be piloted in one or two hospitals to further enhance security.
This move is in response to demands from doctors' associations for better safety measures. The state health minister, Ma Subramanian, emphasized that the safety of healthcare professionals is a top priority.
Other measures announced by the Tamil Nadu government include:
Increased CCTV camera installation
Deployment of trained security personnel
Creation of a quick response team
Regular security drills and training for hospital staff
Implementation of access control systems
The implementation of this system is part of a broader effort to improve security across college campuses and hospitals in Tamil Nadu. Overall, the new tag system and enhanced security measures aim to provide a safer environment for healthcare workers and patients in Tamil Nadu's government hospitals. The state government has taken steps to address concerns raised by doctors' associations, including the introduction of pay wards in nearly 15 government hospitals, making services more accessible to the middle-income group.
The pay wards will offer specialized services at subsidized rates, making healthcare more accessible to those who cannot afford private hospitals but are willing to pay for better facilities. This initiative is expected to reduce the financial burden on patients while generating revenue for the hospitals, enabling them to improve their infrastructure and services.
Reference:
1. https://www.tnhsp.org
(Input From Various Sources)
(Rehash/Neha Kamble/MSM)
