Viral Video: Security guard allegedly prepares syringes at Noida District Hospital
Noida: In a serious breach of medical safety protocols, a security guard with no clinical training was allegedly filmed preparing injectable medicines at the district hospital in Sector 39 and handing the syringes to a staff nurse for administration to patients in the emergency ward.
The incident came to light after a video recorded on August 14 showed the guard, who was deployed on the hospital’s fifth floor, opening medicine ampoules and drawing their contents into syringes at a counter while a nurse stood nearby.
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Hospital officials said around 15 to 20 ampoules of ranitidine were prepared in this manner and subsequently administered to patients. Ranitidine is a medicine used to reduce stomach acid and is prescribed for conditions including acid reflux and peptic ulcers.
According to hospital authorities, the staff nurse had been attending to patients during an emergency and asked the guard to assist her. Officials cited a shortage of manpower at the hospital, which has 42 permanent doctors against a requirement for at least 20 additional doctors in departments including paediatrics, gynaecology, medicine, surgery and orthopaedics.
The hospital also has around 60 vacancies for staff nurses, in addition to shortages among other support staff, including contractual ward boys.
The gaps, officials said, leave existing personnel stretched, particularly during emergencies when patient load rises.
The hospital management, however, clarified that the circumstances — however pressing — did not justify the arrangement. “The nurse was busy attending to some patients in an emergency. So, she asked the guard to help her. However, no matter what the reason was, such action is not acceptable,” said Ashok Kumar Jha, the chief medical superintendent, reports TOI.
Following the emergence of the video, the hospital removed the staff nurse and the security guard from duty. Both were outsourced employees.
The security guard had been deployed through a private agency based in Aligarh, which has also been served a notice seeking an explanation.
A senior doctor at the hospital said preparing an injection involves several critical safety steps, including identifying the correct medicine and dosage, safely opening the ampoule, preventing contamination and ensuring that no air remains in the syringe.
“Drawing medication from an ampoule into a syringe and preparing it for injection is a clinical procedure that requires training, experience and strict attention to detail,” the doctor said. An error in any of these steps can expose patients to wrong doses, contamination or other potentially serious complications. “A security guard, who is not trained or authorised to perform clinical procedures, should not be involved in preparing syringes or handling injectable medicines under any circumstances,” the doctor clarified, reports TOI.
The incident also drew a political reaction, with Vinay Mahabal Mishra, former MLA from Dwarka and former vice-chairman of the Delhi Jal Board, commenting on the matter in a post on X.
Sharing the image of the hospital incident, Mishra said, “This is a picture of the Noida District Hospital, Sector 39, in Uttar Pradesh. A security guard has become a doctor and is preparing an injection.”
He further criticised the condition of public healthcare in Uttar Pradesh, saying, “Forget about the state of schools in Uttar Pradesh—the condition of hospitals is even worse.” He also alleged that those raising concerns about the situation could be dismissed as “brainwashed Naxals.”
The incident has prompted the hospital administration to review the responsibilities assigned to outsourced workers. Officials reiterated that security guards are deployed exclusively for security-related duties and are not authorised to undertake clinical responsibilities involving medicines or patient treatment.
Jha said further action would be taken after the inquiry is completed and the response from the outsourcing agency is received.
