Udon Thani Hospital tightens security to avoid damages from gang fights
Udon Thani Hospital on Wednesday (July 22) has set up a new security system to prevent damages from brawls between gangs.
Hospital director Dr Narong Tadadach said tight security was necessary, citing the most recent case of four patients being brought in with severe injuries sustained during a gang fight.
Though friends and families are allowed to visit patients, Narong said many times members of rival gangs show up pretending to be kin and further attack the patients and damage medical equipment.
This time, however, security officials stationed at the doors of the four patients’ rooms did not let in any “friends” and had the family wait.
The director said that apart from stationing security officials at doors and informing local police, the hospital has also set up a system in which loud alarms will be sounded if anyone tries to break down doors, giving staff enough time to put away expensive equipment. The hospital has also created safe areas for officials to hide in the case of severe clashes.
Narong said the hospital called on the Public Health Ministry to find a solution after it suffered six gang fights on the premises over two months and the ministry responded by setting up this security system.
