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Police hunt for gunmen involved in hospital invasion
Friday, 31 July 2009
The St. Thomas Police have launched a manhunt for a group of armed thugs who invaded the Princess Margaret Hospital on Friday morning, leaving patients and hospital staff traumatised.
It is reported that shortly after one o'clock Friday morning, a group of men armed with handguns invaded the hospital where they held-up nurses and warders on duty and forced them to assist them to gain access to the main ward.
The police have not yet issued an official report on the incident, but checks by RJR News revealed that the gunmen were searching for a male patient.
Police sources say the four armed thugs used hospital workers to assist them to conduct a bed to bed search for their target.
It is understood that the police had moved the patient after receiving intelligence that the gunmen were coming for him.
It is understood the men robbed hospital workers of their cellular phones.
The Commanding officer for St. Thomas visited the hospital Friday and assured the staff that the matter will be thoroughly investigated.
It is believed that the incident stemmed from an ongoing feud between rival gangs in the parish.
In a statement Friday, the Nurses Association of Jamaica condemned the incident.
The NAJ said the gunmen had fired shots aimlessly in the ward housing patients.
And the Chairman of the South East Regional Health Authority Tanny Shirley visited the hospital on Friday afternoon to get a report on the incident and to speak to the hospital staff.
"We had a long meeting with the staff. What was said to have transpired is that five gunmen invaded the hospital last night. It was said they were looking for a patient who was injured but fortunately the patient was transferred to somewhere else. [The gunmen] in the process kicked down the door in order to gain access to the hospital and held one of the ambulance drivers hostage," Mr. Shirley said.
Mr. Shirley said no one was hurt, but the authorities will now be moving to secure the 40-acre property.
He said he has discussed with the staff ways to secure the hospital immediately.
"So we had discussions with them for the immediate security to look at protecting the building. The buildings are open and were designed that way. They are looking at other security measures for their own safety within the building and to look at the perimeter walls to see how best to attempt to secure them. Trying to secure 40 acres of land is not something to jump and start to do," he said.
Friday, 31 July 2009
The St. Thomas Police have launched a manhunt for a group of armed thugs who invaded the Princess Margaret Hospital on Friday morning, leaving patients and hospital staff traumatised.
It is reported that shortly after one o'clock Friday morning, a group of men armed with handguns invaded the hospital where they held-up nurses and warders on duty and forced them to assist them to gain access to the main ward.
The police have not yet issued an official report on the incident, but checks by RJR News revealed that the gunmen were searching for a male patient.
Police sources say the four armed thugs used hospital workers to assist them to conduct a bed to bed search for their target.
It is understood that the police had moved the patient after receiving intelligence that the gunmen were coming for him.
It is understood the men robbed hospital workers of their cellular phones.
The Commanding officer for St. Thomas visited the hospital Friday and assured the staff that the matter will be thoroughly investigated.
It is believed that the incident stemmed from an ongoing feud between rival gangs in the parish.
In a statement Friday, the Nurses Association of Jamaica condemned the incident.
The NAJ said the gunmen had fired shots aimlessly in the ward housing patients.
And the Chairman of the South East Regional Health Authority Tanny Shirley visited the hospital on Friday afternoon to get a report on the incident and to speak to the hospital staff.
"We had a long meeting with the staff. What was said to have transpired is that five gunmen invaded the hospital last night. It was said they were looking for a patient who was injured but fortunately the patient was transferred to somewhere else. [The gunmen] in the process kicked down the door in order to gain access to the hospital and held one of the ambulance drivers hostage," Mr. Shirley said.
Mr. Shirley said no one was hurt, but the authorities will now be moving to secure the 40-acre property.
He said he has discussed with the staff ways to secure the hospital immediately.
"So we had discussions with them for the immediate security to look at protecting the building. The buildings are open and were designed that way. They are looking at other security measures for their own safety within the building and to look at the perimeter walls to see how best to attempt to secure them. Trying to secure 40 acres of land is not something to jump and start to do," he said.
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