A hospital in northwestern China’s Shaanxi has equipped its employees with wristbands that can alert local police in the event of danger, Sixth Tone’s sister publication The Paper reported Monday.
The Shaanxi Provincial People’s Hospital said the devices are intended to ensure the safety of staff at a time when violence against medical workers is prevalent in the country. The hospital also said it will install alarm buttons in patient wards as a precautionary measure against any future incidents.
The move comes after doctors in Lanzhou — also in Northwest China — and Beijing were killed by a patient and a patient’s relative, respectively. Following these recent attacks, China’s medical professionals have called for upgraded security measures at hospitals and longer sentences for violent patients.
Earlier this month, a hospital in the eastern Jiangxi province implemented security screenings for patients and staff upon entering. The facility’s chief security officer told The Paper last week that the hospital confiscated more than 10 knives on the first day the new procedure was enforced.
(Image: @头条新闻 on Weibo)
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