Case Study: Milestone – Women’s Hospital, Ecuador

Women’s Hospital of Ecuador Improves Security and Optimizes Operations with Network Video Management System
The Alfredo G. Paulson Women’s Hospital has found a trustworthy solution in Milestone
Systems’ video management software (VMS) to help protect the security and safety of the
buildings and patients
THE CHALLENGE
Protecting the facilities and improving security processes is the requirement at Alfredo
G. Paulson Women’s Hospital in Guayaquil, Ecuador. Another hospital in the group had
experienced medical supply theft and patient complaints that could not be verified. They
sought the assistance of a modern video management system.
THE SOLUTION
Milestone Systems’ open platform XProtect Expert video management software now
manages the new surveillance technology that was installed in the hospital in 2017 by
M E L A C O R P
THE ADVANTAGES
The hospital is now able to rely on a video management software that has
a user-friendly, intuitive interface and easily integrates with other security
systems for an efficient, unified monitoring solution. The new system supports
a large data storage capacity. They have the ability to optimize human
resources involved in the hospital’s busy operations.
In almost every hospital around the world, many people enter and exit every
day, which creates enormous operational challenges for the people and
buildings involved. The managers that run these spaces are aware of this, and
as a result, are integrating more and more new technological solutions that
enable them to take better care of their areas of responsibility.
This is the case at Alfredo G. Paulson Women’s Hospital, part of the complex
Alejandro Mann medical center in the Honorable Junta de Beneficencia de
Guayaquil (Honorable Guayaquil Welfare Board) in Ecuador. This medical center
also includes the Roberto Gilbert Children’s Hospital.
The Women’s Hospital has a five-story and a two-story building, the latter
being the outpatient center. To protect against possible security and safety
risks in each of these buildings, the board installed a complete network video
surveillance system.
The Project’s Security Challenges
“The Honorable Welfare Board already had a similar hospital constructed in
the 50s, the Enrique Sotomayor Maternity Unit, whose infrastructure did not
meet the operational demands, given that it depended on an analog closed-
circuit television system (CCTV) that was very limited. At that time, the hospital
had problems with medical supply theft and patient complaints that could not
be checked, etc.,” explained Ing. Mauro Avecilla, automation and inspection
engineer for MELACORP, the company leading the video surveillance system’s
installation.
In response to the situation, MELACORP helped the board find an ideal system
to complete the transition from a mid-century building to a modern one that
responds to its operational needs, as well as to those of the hospital’s security
and its patients.
At the beginning of the project, in addition to boosting security and optimizing
hospital operations, the objective was to integrate monitoring into all of the
other buildings that belong to the organization. This is beginning to take shape,
starting with a pilot to incorporate the closed-circuit television system (CCTV)
in the Roberto Gilbert Hospital with the XProtect network video software
platform, leaving behind their system of multiple NVRs and DVRs.
Technology for Optimization and Protection
Given the modernization challenge, MELACORP proposed Milestone XProtect
Expert video management software as the unifying video surveillance system,
and the Axis Communications line of network cameras.
“One of the reasons we chose this solution was based on the topic of video
analytics, which nowadays isn’t one that is enjoyed by technicians or engineers
among different systems. Our goal was for it to become a true source of
support in operational procedures. The Welfare Board can now count on the
analytics of a missing object, located object and cases in which those lines
cross, among other options,” Avecilla explained.
In the main building, 230 cameras were installed, and 34
more were placed in the supplementary outpatient center. In
total, four Axis camera models were used:
•Model P1354-E (44), a fixed housing type for the exterior
•Model M3004-V (107), an interior dome camera
•Model P5524-E (8), a PTZ exterior camera
•Model P3214-V (105), a larger interior dome camera
In regards to storage, the project involved the use of seven
HP StoreEasy series 1640 and 1440 servers with Windows
Operating System Storage Server 2012 R2; of these, three 28
TB 1640 models are in the main building and two 8 TB 1440
models are in the outpatient center. In addition, a HP DL380p
Gen8 Server is used by the main building’s office, and a HP
DL320e Server is used in the outpatient center’s office.
“The Welfare Board also has a room that we call the ‘replica,’
since it is very similar to our central command room, which is
operated by a security company. A camera and VMS system
can be very good, but without any operator surveillance, a
proactive tool becomes a passive one,” the engineer Avecilla
explains.

 

According to Freddy Matamoros, hospital engineer manager for the Alejandro
Mann medical center, the hospital had no previous experience with Milestone’s
security solutions, but found that the VMS fulfilled the necessary requirements
for its project.
Matamoros assures that “one of the best advantages that Milestone has is
its search features and easy distribution, which is superior to that of other
CCTV recording system equipment. This allows us to quickly search through
categorized camera movements. The system generates alarms in case there is
a problem, if there is smoke for example, saving us surveillance personnel since
the camera can start capturing immediately when the alarm sounds. Also, the
system makes the task of monitoring patients easier, guaranteeing complete
attention.”
Further on this subject, Avecilla emphasized that the system allows for
integration or interconnection with access control systems, as well as with
alarm systems. Three of the installed Axis camera models have
entry and exit alarms.
In addition, with this security system, it’s possible to monitor
healthcare activities like sterilization, using the video to review how
many cycles the nurses have completed and comparing that with
the written records they have. This ensures better quality standards
for staff and patients alike
With this new technology and approach to operating the institution,
Alfredo G. Paulson Women’s Hospital has become a model for the
health organizations in the region
APPLICATIONS build nvr custom nvr INDUSTRY SOLUTIONS LEARNING CENTER Milestone XProtect RESOURCES SERVICES TECHNOLOGY Video Surveillance