The pandemic has kept hospitals loaded, as patients poured in higher numbers than they could take. Even large facilities were under immense pressure, gasping for air and struggling to accommodate and treat everyone who needed help. While the worst may be over, things have changed a great deal for these healthcare facilities. There is a need to upgrade everything, from the number of beds and healthcare professionals to infrastructure and even physical security. It is time to think beyond the ordinary and go the extra mile. Here are some ways hospital security has changed in the new normal.
Managing visitors is crucial
Right now, hospital security is as much about managing visitors as it is about ensuring the safety of the patients. Even as the virus seems to be under control, being complacent is the last thing to do. The control needs to be tighter in clinical settings because the risk of infections runs high. Everything boils down to taking the right precautions with the visitors. Authorities need to ensure that no one flouts the meeting hours and there aren’t crowds anywhere on the floor. Video surveillance can help to ensure social distancing norms across the facility. Temperature checks are also a crucial aspect of visitor management in the new normal.
Ensuring safer outdoor spaces
When care facilities faced a crisis in 2020, they used outdoor space for testing and treatment. The trend continues in the new normal, as it is easier to manage patients outside when it comes to social distancing. Moreover, it enables providers to limit the number of patients indoors to only those needing critical care. However, there is a need for more robust security systems for hospitals in these circumstances. Installing gate entry systems at critical points is a good way to manage crowds. Outdoor testing and treatment also require them to identify their staff easily, so special badges and IDs can help. Deploying security officers makes it even easier to handle security concerns.
Going the extra mile with compliance
The new normal is fraught with challenges for healthcare facilities as they have to be ready to face medical emergencies. The virus may return as a new strain or a fresh wave at any point, so they cannot go slack with the safety protocols. Moreover, they also need to be ahead of compliance with the government guidelines. While hospitals must keep up with the latest information, they also need to align their security measures accordingly. For example, they must limit the number of people in elevators or outside waiting rooms at any point. It is only possible with proper surveillance, rather than expecting people to behave responsibly.
Apart from implementing these pandemic-specific security measures, hospitals need to give more attention to the regular ones. Physical risks increase when there are more people around, which is a reality in the new normal. There is a need to ramp up security systems to make sure that there aren’t any gaps. Even a little goes a long way for disaster readiness, and physical security is a lot.
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