Hospitals tighten security on Interior Ministry’s directions

Strict security arrangements are being made at Lady Wallington Hospital (LWH), Mayo Hospital (MH) and Sir Ganga Ram Hospital (SGRH) on the directions of the Interior Ministry owing to security threats. The ministry wrote to the hospitals twice; after the terrorist attack at Jinnah Hospital and after the blast in Rescue 15 building. The ministry suggested hospitals’ administrations to remove vehicular parking areas from within hospital premises. The ministry also suggested the administrations to keep hospital walls at least 12 feet high or cover walls with barbed wire.
SGRH administration has secured the hospital’s boundary by putting barbed wire on the walls of out patients’ department, emergency ward and the administration block. The hospital’s administration has also barred vehicle parking in hospital’s premises. Some gates of the emergency ward, OPD and indoor block have also been locked.
SGRH sources disclosed that the ministry notified in its last letter that the SGRH was located in a sensitive area, which was surrounded by Rescue 15 offices, Punjab Assembly, CCPO Office, British Council, Chief Minister House and a security agency’s office. Sources disclosed that most of blasts victims were treated at SGRH.
Health Department sources disclosed that the department had issued several letters to the teaching hospitals regarding security but most of the hospitals did not adopt measures suggested by the ministry. Sources also disclosed that fence installed outside the hospitals could be helpful for terrorists, so it was under consideration to cover these fences with metal sheet.
SGRH Additional Medical Superintendent Dr Anjum Jamal told Pakistan Today that they decided to put barbed wire because they were not in position to afford the construction of 12 feet walls. Former LWH medical superintendent Dr Afzal Shaheen said that LWH administration had informed the Health Department about the poor condition of hospital’s boundary walls. He said that the hospital’s administration had constructed a boundary wall with funds provided by an international NGO.