Hospitals in US are gearing up to scan unconscious and disoriented patients using implanted microchips. Hospitals are planning to take scanning equipments from VeriChip, the chip’s maker to encourage the patients to be tagged. Since a patient does not have knowledge of scanning, the news is sparking a debate in the world media. Concerns are being raised for the patients being unwittingly monitored by the government (and other agencies) or the technology being abused to monitor people.



According to Washington Post, the chipmaker company is planning to equip 200 hospitals in the end of this year. Already doctors are providing this procedure to patients. This marketing strategy will make world-wide debate.



The FDA approves this device in 2004. The microchip does not have any information in itself. It is a 16-digit number, which used to pull up an electronic file in a database from internet. The microchip will not help patients until the hospitals scan the chip, access the web site and trust the data.



Without having the approval of FDA, the chips would not become cheap. Due this reason, there are limited consumers.



via :eweek