REGINA — Saskatchewan Health Authority has announced metal detectors are now installed in three more of their facilities in the province.
In a news release SHA confirmed they have been installed at the main doors of Battlefords Union Hospital in North Battleford, Prince Albert Victoria Hospital in Prince Albert, and the Regina Urgent Care Centre.
SHA states that they will come online by Feb. 23, bringing to eight the total number of metal detectors in operation at health-care facilities in Saskatchewan.
The move to install metal detectors has been a hot political issue, and follows a number of high profile security incidents in hospitals. Those include an incident last November in which a patient brought in a sawed-off shotgun and knives to the ER area at St. Paul’s Hospital, as well as an incident earlier this year in which a patient at Royal University Hospital died following an altercation with security.
Last month, opposition New Democrats held news conferences in Saskatoon in which they released photos of various knives and other dangerous weapons seized at Royal University Hospital and at St. Paul’s Hospital.
A pilot program to use metal detectors to screen for weapons had been in place at Royal University Hospital last year, and in January it was announced that the detectors would now be installed in emergency room entrances at the five hospitals in the major cities Saskatoon and Regina.
At the grand opening of the St. Paul’s Hospital entrance in January shortly after the metal detectors were installed, Health Minister Jeremy Cockrill pointed to the “positive change that they’re already seeing in the emergency room,” with staff saying there were fewer dangerous items coming in.
In a statement, the SHA outlined what the public can expect. They said all members of the public coming through the doors will be asked by protective services officers to declare if they have a restricted item on their person, such as duffle bags, luggage or food coolers, and weapons of any kind, including knives and other sharp objects, stun-guns, ammunition, explosives, flammables, bear spray, mace or aerosols.
If a restricted item is declared or detected during screening, the officers will provide that person an opportunity to remove the item from the facility or secure it in a designated locker before they can enter. Illegal items cannot be stored, said the SHA. Those who store items will received a claim ticket to present upon exit to retrieve items from the locker.
Much like at airport security, individuals will be asked to remove all metal from their pockets including belts, keys and cell phones, place them in a bin, and go through the metal detector. An officer will also screen the contents of the bin and any bags they have with them, and a hand-operated wand scanner may also be used to confirm no prohibited items are entering the building.
