Experts not satisfied with security arrangements

Rawalpindi
A number of security loopholes exist on the premises of Rawalpindi Medical College (RMC) and the three allied hospitals in town even after a number of security measures taken during last one-and-a-half months.
Many health experts serving at RMC and allied hospitals are not satisfied with the security arrangements being made to secure premises of the healthcare facilities.
They are of the view that none of the law enforcement agencies including Police department is providing any security to the RMC campuses and allied hospitals while the security measures taken by the administrations of RMC and allied hospitals are not sufficient to avert a terror strike if occurs.
In compliance with the directives of the Punjab government, private contractors have been given contract for ticketing vehicles in parking areas of the hospitals. The major concern of the contractors is to generate revenue and they have nothing to do with the security arrangements.
Many health experts are of the view that because of the activities of private contractors, the security of the hospitals is being compromised. The contractors do not discourage parking of private vehicles by outsiders and even public transport vehicles can be witnessed in the parking areas of the hospitals, said a top official serving at allied hospitals while talking to ‘The News’ on Wednesday.
Pleading anonymity, he said the logistics of the canteens operating within the premises of the hospitals are being taken in vans which are not checked properly. The canteen operating in the basement of building of a church at Holy Family Hospital brings its material for cooking in a truck and it is not checked by trained security personnel, he said.
He added that no security personnel are deployed outside boundary walls of the allied hospitals and RMC campuses. Building material suppliers are operating businesses outside the HFH who have stocked heaps of building material on the boundary wall of the hospital that can be used for entry to the hospital buildings without checking, said the official.
He said one can witness a number of private ambulances parked in the parking areas of the hospitals that have access to any building or department of the hospitals at any time without any checking. Any suspected vehicle in disguise of a private ambulance can make access to the buildings of the hospitals easily and it is alarming, he said.
It is important that the premises of Benazir Bhutto Hospital has also not been secured from outside instead the Institute of paramedics at the BBH has its entry along Rawal Road while a number of houses and shops are located around the BBH which can be used by the miscreants, he said.
He added the same is the case with the District Headquarters Hospital which is surrounded by a number of houses and business setups having rooftops above the boundary walls of the hospital.
He, like many other health experts, said that the premises of the hospitals and RMC campuses cannot be secured properly without help from the law enforcement agencies.
Principal Rawalpindi Medical College Professor Dr. Muhammad Umar when contacted by ‘The News’ on Wednesday said the RMC administration and the administrations of the allied hospitals have taken security measures following standard operating procedures provided by the provincial government.
He said the RMC and allied hospitals have made security arrangements with the help of limited staff available to them. Of course, the law enforcement agencies can provide ideal protection to the allied hospitals and RMC campuses, he said while responding to a query. He, however, added that the RMC and allied hospitals would be secure if the entire city is secure.
He added that it is not possible to remove houses and shops located adjacent to the boundary walls of the hospitals. The RMC and allied hospitals are taking maximum possible security measures to secure their premises from a possible terror strike, said Professor Umar.