Coimbatore : The Coimbatore Medical College Hospital (CMCH) which is visited by thousands of patients from all the western districts has become a den of thieves and pickpockets in recent times, if the rise in theft cases and incidents are any indication.
Coimbatore : The Coimbatore Medical College Hospital (CMCH) which is visited by thousands of patients from all the western districts has become a den of thieves and pickpockets in recent times, if the rise in theft cases and incidents are any indication.
While statistics point to over 30 two-wheeler thefts in the last year or so, the small-time pickpockets also roam the premises and they pick the pockets of patients and their kins thus stealing valuables from them. And this has become a day to day happenings.
This famed hospital caters to the health needs of western zone, and patients from Tiruppur, Nilgiris and Erode and even from Kerala visit the hospital in good numbers.
Every day about 8000 patients are being treated as outpatients while the hospital also treats 2,200 patients in all it multispecialty wards.
Though the security of the hospital has been outsourced to a private agency namely, Padmavathi Security agency, the security scenario in the hospital are much to be desired, as vehicle thefts have increased by the day.
Still worse, the security staff are subjected to threats by the rings of thieves operating in the hospital premises.
According to sources, even though the hospital has been covered under CCTV surveillance system, the recovery rate of stolen vehicles and valuables is abysmally poor, even after police complaints were filed in every single case.
One government doctor who works in the hospital whose two wheeler was stolen from the premises last year is still running from pillar to post to get back his vehicle.
“My two wheeler was stolen by thieves from CMCH premises in October last. I preferred a formal complaint with the Racecourse police station. But the police are yet to crack the case even after identifying the thieves using the CCTV footages in the CMCH premises. The police should crack the case and get me back the two-wheeler which I have been using for many years.” The doctor, one of the many victims said.
“Stealing of cell phones and money from the visitors are also rampant and on the rise in the hospital premises” say the visitors to the hospital.
Only a couple of days back the cell phone of Illavarasi, a woman of Sungam bypass road was snatched away by thieves and in another such incident Rs.1000 was stolen from an old patient who visited the hospital.
Rudra, one hospital staff had also lost her cell phone to the thieves operating in the hospital premises. There are many other such cases which go unreported as the patients realize that their valuables have been stolen only after they go out of the hospital.
“On the other side, even though many police cases were filed on thefts which happened in CMCH premises, the recovery rate is very poor” say sources.
The collapse of the security situation in the hospital is such that thieves and pickpockets often threaten the security staff of the private agency by flaunting knives and blades when they drive them out of the premises.
“The police should cleanse the CMCH premises from the menace of thieves by posting policemen in plain clothes and help recover order and safety and security to the visiting patients” say the visiting patients to CMCH in one voice.
While statistics point to over 30 two-wheeler thefts in the last year or so, the small-time pickpockets also roam the premises and they pick the pockets of patients and their kins thus stealing valuables from them. And this has become a day to day happenings.
This famed hospital caters to the health needs of western zone, and patients from Tiruppur, Nilgiris and Erode and even from Kerala visit the hospital in good numbers.
Every day about 8000 patients are being treated as outpatients while the hospital also treats 2,200 patients in all it multispecialty wards.
Though the security of the hospital has been outsourced to a private agency namely, Padmavathi Security agency, the security scenario in the hospital are much to be desired, as vehicle thefts have increased by the day.
Still worse, the security staff are subjected to threats by the rings of thieves operating in the hospital premises.
According to sources, even though the hospital has been covered under CCTV surveillance system, the recovery rate of stolen vehicles and valuables is abysmally poor, even after police complaints were filed in every single case.
One government doctor who works in the hospital whose two wheeler was stolen from the premises last year is still running from pillar to post to get back his vehicle.
“My two wheeler was stolen by thieves from CMCH premises in October last. I preferred a formal complaint with the Racecourse police station. But the police are yet to crack the case even after identifying the thieves using the CCTV footages in the CMCH premises. The police should crack the case and get me back the two-wheeler which I have been using for many years.” The doctor, one of the many victims said.
“Stealing of cell phones and money from the visitors are also rampant and on the rise in the hospital premises” say the visitors to the hospital.
Only a couple of days back the cell phone of Illavarasi, a woman of Sungam bypass road was snatched away by thieves and in another such incident Rs.1000 was stolen from an old patient who visited the hospital.
Rudra, one hospital staff had also lost her cell phone to the thieves operating in the hospital premises. There are many other such cases which go unreported as the patients realize that their valuables have been stolen only after they go out of the hospital.
“On the other side, even though many police cases were filed on thefts which happened in CMCH premises, the recovery rate is very poor” say sources.
The collapse of the security situation in the hospital is such that thieves and pickpockets often threaten the security staff of the private agency by flaunting knives and blades when they drive them out of the premises.
“The police should cleanse the CMCH premises from the menace of thieves by posting policemen in plain clothes and help recover order and safety and security to the visiting patients” say the visiting patients to CMCH in one voice.