Thursday, January 10, 2008

Banning cameras inside Perpetual Succour Hospital is futile

I visited a loved one confined at Perpetual Succour Hospital. Like any visitor of that hospital, I had to pass through a security check. (It feels safe to see security guards conduct routine inspection). I was carrying a bag with a digital camera in it. At that time it never dawned on me that camera's are prohibited inside the hospital building. I breezed through the security check as I readily submitted my bag for inspection.

The next day I went to the same hospital. Again, I brought with me a camera. This time however, the security guard on duty stopped me on my tracks. He would not let me inside the hospital until I return the camera I was carrying inside my car. He explained that the hospital management prohibits the entry of any camera inside Perpetual Succour Hospital.

Since I was talking with someone on my cell phone, I did not bother to insist to the guard on duty that the night before I was allowed by another security personnel to get in despite bringing with me a digital camera. I just made a u turn to my car and left my canon eos 400D there.

When I returned to the entrance of the hospital after leaving behind my camera, I decided to confront the guard. I wanted to tell him that the night before I was allowed entry to the hospital even after a security guard saw me carrying a digital camera. I went on to tell the guard on duty to inform the hospital management that some of their security personnel are not consistent in implementing the rule against bringing a camera inside the hospital premises.

In this time and age, it is nearly impossible to disallow people from bringing a camera inside a building. Practically all cell phones are equipped with a camera. If Perpetual Succour Hospital is indeed serious in imposing a ban on camera inside their building for whatever reason then they should not allow anyone even with a camera phone enter their building.

But, if you stand near the entrance of Perpetual Succour Hospital building you will be amazed at how the security guards allow anyone with a camera phone enter their building premises.

I suggest that the hospital management rethink their clearly outdated rule against the bringing of camera inside Perpetual Succour Hospital.