Theft spree disrupts services at Sirajganj hospital

SIRAJGANJ, Sept 18:  A surge in thefts has disrupted services at Sirajganj Medical College Hospital, where three lifts and six air conditioners have remained out of order for the past 15 days after thieves cut and stole their cables.

The stolen cables are worth around Tk 10 lakh, according to hospital authorities.

Thieves have also stolen water taps, fittings, lights, switches, railings and other equipment, severely disrupting healthcare services at the 500-bed hospital.

Hospital sources said more than 1,000 patients receive treatment at the outpatient department every day, while more than 500 patients remain admitted.

Patients visiting the hospital reportedly lose two to three mobile phones every day. Thieves are also cutting and stealing cables of air conditioners and fittings from toilets and water supply lines.

As a result, water supply has been disrupted in some areas and toilets are often left unclean, causing further suffering for patients and their attendants.

Of the hospital's 10 functioning lifts, three have remained closed for 15 days due to cable theft.

The thefts have become so rampant that thieves are taking away almost anything they can find, including bulbs installed inside and outside the hospital, steel railings, cables and rods.

Patients and visitors are bearing the brunt of the situation, while hospital authorities have become increasingly frustrated and are seeking cooperation from local residents.

Bilkis Begum, who came from Salanga to receive treatment, said her mobile phone was stolen while she was standing in a queue for a doctor after purchasing a ticket.

“After I informed the authorities, security guards immediately recovered my phone. Police later came to the hospital at the request of the authorities, but I did not file a complaint to avoid further hassle,” she said.

Dr ATM Nuruzzaman, Director of Sirajganj Medical College Hospital, said the authorities were in a difficult situation due to the repeated thefts.

“Thieves are taking away whatever they can find. Three lifts and six ACs have remained out of service for 15 days because their cables were stolen,” he said.

He said security guards had caught some suspected thieves, but local people came forward with various excuses and secured their release, preventing the authorities from handing them over to police.

“Even when our security guards catch mobile phone thieves, police cannot take action if we do not file complaints,” he said.

The director suspected that a local group was involved in the thefts and called for cooperation from everyone to stop the problem.