Abstract: A monitoring system in a medical facility provides an identification device to a patient and a data acquisition device to a health-care worker. The identification device wirelessly emits a first signal that identifies the patient and the data acquisition device emits a second signal. A determination is made in response to the first signal and the second signal, whether the health-care worker is absent from being near the patient. For example, absence of the health-care worker is determined when a data reader receives only the first signal. This system detects when a patient requiring continuous observation is not in the presence of a health-care worker. In that case, an alarm message is sent to supervisory personnel.