Petrina Francis, Staff Reporter

An attempt Wednesday to improve security conditions at the Kingston Public and Victoria Jubilee hospitals did not quite work out, forcing the hospitals' administrations to revert to their normal ticketing system.

This, as traffic was backed up for several yards at the Kingston Public Hospital (KPH), leaving several sick persons and visitors to the outpatient clinic waiting for an extended period before they were able to access the facilities.

The main gate at the KPH is also used by persons accessing the Victoria Jubilee Hospital (VJH).

Inspector Rohan McIntyre of the KPH Police Post told The Gleaner that the new system was imple-mented about 9:30 a.m. Wednesday.

Under the new system, in addition to being given a gate pass, the licence plate numbers and other particulars are taken from drivers.

But Inspector McIntyre said this system was flawed. "It is not working out and emergency vehicles and private vehicles carrying sick patients are caught up in the traffic," he said. "I understand that a lady had her baby in the car as a result of this."

Intentions good

However, hospital administrator Novilin Leslie-Jones disputed this claim. According to her, the mother had already had the baby and was on her way to the facility with it for care.

"The intention is good, but it is not working out. Everybody is complaining, hospital workers, ambulance drivers," said Inspector McIntyre.

When The Gleaner visited the hospital in the afternoon, traffic flow was back to normal as the security guards at the gate stopped taking drivers' information and instead handed motorists gate passes.

Mrs. Leslie-Jones said the new security system only lasted for an hour as, when it was found that it was not working out, the hospital reverted to the original system of issuing gate passes.

Last week, a baby girl was stolen from the VJH. A 20-year-old woman was later charged with child stealing after the infant was found in her possession in the Corporate Area. It is still unclear how she was able to take the child out of the hospital but police believe she got assistance.

Mrs. Leslie-Jones said the new security measures were in part related to that incident, noting that while the hospital continues to review its security measures, once an incident occurs, more effort is put into improving the security system at the facilities.