Level 2 and above hospitals in Ningbo must have a 100% coverage rate for security checks

Recently, according to the “Ningbo Release”, large hospitals located in Ningbo, Zhejiang will implement security checks in accordance with airport and train station standards. In the future, entering large hospitals in Ningbo will require security checks. Once this incident spread, it attracted a lot of attention.

It is reported that on August 26th, the health department of Ningbo issued the “Implementation Plan for the Construction of Security Systems in Large Hospitals in Ningbo”, aiming to further enhance the equipment and overall security capabilities of large public hospitals, ensure the safety of medical staff, and maintain normal medical order.

The plan requires that by the end of November 2021, the construction compliance rate of security systems in tertiary public hospitals should reach 100%, and the security check coverage rate should be 100%; By the end of 2022, secondary public hospitals will achieve a 100% security construction rate and a 100% security inspection coverage rate; Encourage private and other medical institutions with conditions to refer to and carry out relevant work.

Similar to Ningbo, in July of this year, the Health Bureau of Yueqing City, Zhejiang Province also issued a notice on the “Notice on Issuing the Work Plan for the Construction of Security Systems in Large Hospitals in Yueqing City in 2021”, proposing to improve the intelligent security system, carry out security checks in a scientific and orderly manner, and establish a pre alert mechanism for key populations.

The notice also requires the completion of similar security inspection construction goals by the end of November 2021. At the same time, the document specifically points out the need to identify high-risk groups such as medical disputes, strengthen communication with public security departments, and share information on key personnel. Accelerate the construction of a key personnel information database in the health industry, and strengthen effective identification and early warning of key personnel through facial recognition and other means.

It is reported that the hospital security inspection documents in Ningbo and Yueqing both mention that they are in accordance with the requirements of the “Implementation Plan for the 2021 Large scale Hospital Security System Construction Project in Zhejiang Province” issued by the Office of the Zhejiang Provincial Health Commission. It can be foreseen that other cities in the local area will also follow suit, and hospitals in Zhejiang Province will fully enter the era of security inspection.

Multiple medical institutions implement security checks

For many years, the safety of physician practice has become one of the pain points at the industry level. In 2018, the Chinese Medical Association released the White Paper on the Practice Status of Chinese Physicians, which showed that 66% of Chinese physicians had personally experienced doctor-patient conflicts, and over 30% of physicians had experienced violent treatment from patients.

In order to better protect the medical community, further curb the occurrence of violent injury incidents, and create a safe and good working environment, many provinces and cities in China have begun to explore medical institution security inspection systems.

It is reported that since the implementation of the “Beijing Hospital Safety and Order Management Regulations” in July 2020, the incidence of medical related illegal and criminal cases in Beijing has steadily decreased, with criminal cases decreasing by 65% year-on-year.

According to a report by Beiqing Network, as of July 2021, 279 hospitals in Beijing have conducted security checks, among which tertiary hospitals have achieved full coverage. 262 hospitals in the city have installed one click alarm devices, and 86 hospitals are equipped with facial recognition systems.

Apart from Beijing, many hospitals in other provinces and cities also implement security check systems. Taking Nanning, Guangxi as an example, in 2020, in response to the requirements of the Autonomous Region Health Commission and the Nanning Municipal Health Commission that tertiary hospitals should be equipped with necessary security equipment or security gates to carry out security checks, the Second Hospital of Nanning City took the lead in using hospital security checks at the beginning of the year, and the effect was significant, intercepting more than 10 knives on the first day. In March, the Fourth People’s Hospital of Yulin City also opened a security checkpoint.

At the same time, the implementation of hospital security checks in Shanxi Province should not be underestimated. As of June 2020, according to relevant media reports, 52 public hospitals above the second level in Shanxi Province have installed security gates in 89 key areas, and 364 public hospitals above the second level have installed one click alarm devices.

In fact, it is understood that Zhejiang Province had explored and attempted hospital security checks as early as 2016. During the G20 summit held in Hangzhou that year, the Hubin Campus of Zhejiang Provincial Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine installed X-ray security devices and security gates at the southeast, west, and east gates. All large and small packages entering the hospital had to go through security checks, and multiple controlled knives were detected.

It is reported that the practice of establishing a security check system in hospitals is currently being jointly promoted by relevant national and local health departments, and is gradually being promoted nationwide.

Hospitals may fully enter the era of security checks

It’s pretty good, I think it’s normal. I used to work in the United States, and there was a large public hospital in the unit system with security procedures like a train station. As a public place, the hospital is not only crowded but also crowded, and security checks ensure the safety of medical workers and other patients, “said a netizen named” Forensic Doctor X “when talking about hospital security checks.

As early as 2017, industry insiders including Wen Jianmin, a member of the National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference and chief physician of the Orthopedics Department at Wangjing Hospital of the Chinese Academy of Traditional Chinese Medicine, called for hospitals to establish security checks.

The reason why hospital security checks have become a concern for the medical community is due to some infuriating incidents of medical injuries that have occurred in recent years. At the beginning of 2020, Dr. Tao Yong, an ophthalmologist at Beijing Chaoyang Hospital, was injured by a patient holding a kitchen knife while out of the clinic. The perpetrator was able to enter the hospital with the knife, which once again drew attention to the call for hospital security checks.

Dr. Tao Yong once bluntly stated on Weibo that in improving the medical environment, both “hard” and “soft” aspects should be considered, with “hard” referring to hospital security checks, which should ensure that every medical staff working in the hospital feels safe.

It is gratifying that this year alone, multiple policies and laws have been introduced, including provisions to ensure the safety and good working environment of medical personnel. In June of this year, the Chinese government website released the “Opinions of the General Office of the State Council on Promoting the High quality Development of Public Hospitals”, which also mentioned strengthening hospital safety precautions, enhancing the construction of security teams, and improving necessary security check facilities.

The newly passed Physician Law of the People’s Republic of China on August 20, 2021 also clearly states that medical and health institutions should improve security measures, maintain good medical order, proactively resolve medical disputes in a timely manner, and ensure the safety of physician practice. Prohibit any organization or individual from obstructing physicians from practicing in accordance with the law, interfering with physicians’ normal work and life; It is prohibited to violate the personal dignity and safety of doctors through insults, defamation, threats, beatings, and other means.

And it is stipulated that the people’s governments at or above the county level and their relevant departments shall incorporate the prevention and handling of medical disputes into the comprehensive management system of social security.

Industry insiders have stated that with the increasing emphasis on hospital safety and order management at the national, local, and hospital levels, as well as the practical implementation of hospital security measures, immediate security checks upon admission may become a major trend. At the same time, setting up security checks in hospitals is also conducive to creating a safe working environment for medical staff and reducing the occurrence of violent incidents.

Source: Looking at the Medical World