Increased security measures at maternity wards of two more hospitals

The South East Regional Health Authority (SERHA) says it has beefed up security measures for maternity wards at two of its hospitals and improved security systems at the Victoria Jubilee Hospital (VJH) in Kingston.

The measures follow a recent incident at the VJH in which a mentally ill HIV positive woman was allowed to breastfeed another woman's infant.

Lyttleton Shirley, the Chairman of SERHA, says the new measures already implemented at the VJH will be duplicated in the maternity wards at the Spanish Hospital in St. Catherine and the Princess Margaret Hospital in St. Thomas.

At the VJH the measures include double tagging of all babies.

The tags are to be placed on the right arm and left leg of the infant immediately after delivery and must be kept on the baby throughout his/her hospital stay.

The security officer placed outside the Neonatal Unit during the 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. period will continue to identify and screen all authorized visitors to the Nursery.   

A CCTV system with recording capabilities will also be installed to monitor the Neo- Natal Unit, Labour Ward, Ward 3 and all entrances and exits.

In addition to the present roving patrols done by the Security Supervisor after 7:00 p.m., SERHA says two additional security personnel have been placed temporarily at the Neo–Natal Unit and Ward 3 for two weeks on the 7:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m. shift until the CCTV system has been installed.