DHARAN, Sept 16: Three motorbikes parked in the premises of BP Koirala Memorial Hospital of Dharan were found burnt on Friday morning. One of the motorbikes was burnt almost to ashes.

According to the hospital’s officials, small scale crimes like theft have been happening regularly of late. Burning of vehicles inside the hospital ground has thrown clear spotlight on the security situation of one of the biggest hospitals in the eastern region. The motorbike burnt to ashes belonged to a hospital staff’s family. 

Patients, their visitors, hospital staffs are been robbed of their wallet, mobile and other essential items since months. Such theft had become regular occurrence in the hospital.

“My mobile was kept just here, on the table. I was out for few minutes and upon my return, it was not here,” said Bipin Sharma, a visitor. He added that many people have lost their wallet. “Some ladies were complaining of theft of their purse. Things get lost but not found. Going to counter for inquiring about your lost items is of no use,” he added. 
Friday’s incident has sent shivers down the spine of the hospital family members - doctors, patients and staffs who have to stay sometimes day and night at the hospital.

They now feel threatened to life. “When a motorcycle belonging to the hospital staff could be burnt right in the hospital’s premises, anything can happen here,” said Dhan Singh Tamang, a patient adding that lack of security measures in the hospital has been felt more intensely as stories related to burning of the motorbikes is making rounds in the hospital.

Officials at the hospital point at the hospital’s security provider for such lapses. KTM Security Service Private Limited, the security company providing internal security at the hospital, hospital officials claim, has never been up to mark in ensuring security. The incident has highlighted the flaws the in the company’s security arrangements, they claim.

The company has employed single gatekeeper even though there are number of residential buildings in the hospital. The bike was set on fire at the hospital’s well known G 2.3 area. 

[BP Koirala Memorial Hospital premises.]

According to hospital staffs, even though Friday’s incident is eye catching, theft of petrol, battery and other parts of vehicles and small other items were going missing from the area number of times. “It is the first time a motorbike was burnt. Theft of vehicle parts had been causal and nothing was done by the hospital against it,” said a staff adding that the hospital has lost many of its assets to the robbers and have been never investigated. 

Avenger Bike with number plate 26 P 214 owned by Guman Singh Thatal, spouse of a hospital staff was turned to ashes. Similarly, backside of a Pulsar Bike with number plate 17 P 609 and front side of a scooter with number plate 15 P 4201 were burnt in the incident. Hospital officials became aware of the fire at around 4 in the morning.

“Somebody told me early in the morning that my bike was burning. I rushed out to check myself,” Thatal said. “I do not remember who reported that to me, but when I was out my bike was in flames. There was a scooter and another bike nearby which I pushed to safe side. But they had both caught fire,” he said.

The incident has put on serious question about the safety of patients, visitors and hospital staff inside the hospital premises. “I still can’t believe that my bike was burnt inside the hospital premises. How can we believe that everyone in the hospital is safe? It’s very alarming situation,” he said. 

Kalpana Shankar, a staff nurse at the hospital, said that stealing of petrol from motorbikes parked at the hospital is an everyday issue adding that she too has been robbed of petrol from her bike on several occasions. “Due to the inability of the hospital administration to book the culprit so far, they continue to rob unchecked. Before setting the bike on fire on Friday, they had robbed petrol from several bikes on Thursday,” she said. 

A team of investigators from the security companies had arrived after its control room was alerted of the theft. However the team returned without tracking down the thieves. The inquiry found that petrol was stolen from the bikes by cutting out their petrol pipes. 

“We had sent our team instantly, but unfortunately, the thieves were already at large. In the morning at around 5 am, we came to know that bikes were set on fire,” Rajendra Prasad Shrestha, control room in-charge of the security company said. 

He said that the company is looking forward to address the issue of security lapse by holding discussion with the hospital authorities. “As per the agreement with the hospital administration, we have one guard stationed at the hospital. But as the hospital is near forest, its security is vulnerable to robberies,” he said 
 

 
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