From yesterday, visitor access was restricted to the main entrance and the Accident & Emergency Department only, which will be opened 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Furthermore, after visiting hours, all "entry and exit points" except the main one will be closed from 7 p.m. until 5 a.m. the next day.

To enter the wards or other departments, people will have to report to security guards where they will be issued with a pass.

These are part of the more than $400 000 security arrangements which were outlined yesterday at a Press briefing at the hospital.

"You will see that there will be improved car parking and improved lighting, restricted access points and controlled access within the hospital. And so we will no longer have people walking up and down across the hospital at any time of the day going through the front and going through the back.

"Any individual who comes into the hospital for no particular purpose will be challenged," said chief executive officer Winston Collymore. (DS)