HYDERABAD: A day after a woman’s body with feet missing was found in the Institute of Mental Health,
Erragadda, panicked hospital superintendent sent out an
SOS to
police on Friday seeking help in protecting the premises from antisocial elements.
According to police sources, the superintendent told them that outsiders not only stroll into the sprawling campus at will, some even enter the wards and beat up patients.
When contacted, hospital superintendent M Umashankar told TOI that the biggest problem is the two breaches in the compound walls that need to be secured, a request for which has already been made .
When TOI visited the campus on Friday, it found the hospital in the grip of fear. Panic stricken staffers aired their grievances, but on condition of anonymity, lest they be targeted by the murderers. Most of them made a fervent plea for beefing up security.
“There is an urgent need to deploy additional security as the hospital has turned into a hub for anti-social elements, who barge in at will, consume liquor and drugs and even sleep inside the premises. The security is unable to control them as they generally come in groups of five to six and threaten guards,” said a watchman, who looks after an under construction building on the premise.
Pointing out that the hospital transforms into a crime den after sundown, a staffer showed this TOI correspondent the scores of empty liquor bottles, cigarette packs, food items strewn about on the campus.
“Despite the hospital being centrally located, once the sun sets, it resembles a haunted forest due to poor visibility. Since the past few days, some people are coming to this place even during the day to while away time. The police need to deploy additional security forces for safety,” said another staffer.
“It’s been hardly 42 hours since the body was found. We are scared that the murderers could harm us if we are very vocal about the security issue,” said a nurse. Another nurse said had the police raided the premises before the incident, they could have easily nabbed at least 40 anti-social elements.
