Hospitals now mandated to put up CCTVs

CEBU, Philippines - The Cebu Provincial Board has finally approved the ordinance that requires all hospitals and other private and public health facilities in the province to install closed-circuit television cameras.

The ordinance, known as the “CCTV Installation Ordinance on the Critical Areas of the Hospitals and Other Health Institutions in the Province of Cebu”, seeks to ensure security and protection of patients and to monitor the situation of newly-born babies and identify any misdemeanor in the identified areas.

The critical areas mentioned in the ordinance cover the entrance and exit, hallways, emergency exits, and pathological nurseries of hospitals.

The policy provides that the video surveillance system should always be maintained and must be operational 24 hours daily.

An administrative penalty of P10,000, in the first offense, will be imposed on those who would not comply with the ordinance; imprisonment not exceeding to one year or a fine of not exceeding P5,000 or both under the discretion of the court or P30,000 would be slapped for the second offense; and imprisonment not exceeding to one year or a fine not exceeding P5,000 or both under the discretion of the court, or P50,000 will be imposed on the third offense, with the recommendation by the Provincial Inspection Team to the Department of Health for sanctions.

The inspection team is composed of representatives from the Department of Health-7, chairmen of the PB’s Committee on Public Safety, Peace and Order, Committee on Information and Communication Technology, Committee on Public Health and Social Welfare, and Committee on Women, family and Minors.

Also included are the chief of the Cebu Provincial Police Office, chief of the Integrated Provincial Health Office who will do the mapping and monitoring to ensure full compliance with the ordinance. They will also conduct regular checking every six months.

The hospitals and other health institutions are given six months to comply after the approval of the ordinance which was authored by board members Sun Shimura and co-authored by Jude Thaddeus Sybico.

 “Angayan gyod nato bantayan ang mga bata nga dili sila mamaltrato sa mga personnel, we never know. This can improve their (hospitals) services and security,” Shimura said, in a previous interview. — (FREEMAN)