Recently some very frightening events have taken place at the JNF General Hospital which is virtually a thoroughfare for all and sundry including gunmen and murderers.
Some months ago as a young man and his girl friend walked through the hospital grounds a gunman accosted them, shooting the young man to death in the presence of his friend.
Some people wondered how it was that these two people could be walking through a hospital compound for such a dreadful deed to take place on these special grounds.
Not very long ago an armed gunman appeared on one of the wards, causing nurses to dive for cover fearing the worst for their lives. As it turned out, some friend of the gunman came on the scene and was able to disarm the culprit before he could inflict serious bodily injury or even death on any of the nurses or the doctor on duty.
Just around the same time, another young gunman entered the hospital in search of a patient who was at that time being treated for a bullet wound.
Apparently having failed to kill his victim on the first shot he decided that he should finish the job on the victim’s hospital bed.
A reflection on these incidents reveals the stark fact that the JNF General Hospital has no boundaries, that all and sundry have free access to this facility.
In other words, at the JNF there is no security. Intruders can wander into the compound from every angle. Vehicles can drive from LaGuerite Cayon Street via the hospital yard and vice versa. The villagers of Buckley’s make the hospital grounds their short-cut to town.
There are beaten tracks from the hospital to Buckley’s along the full length of the hospital yard.
Anybody could just walk into any of the gates and wander into the hospital. ‘Anybody’ might include someone with evil intentions. There is absolutely no monitoring of any of the entrances or exits at the JNF.
Patients, nurses, orderlies and doctors work at this compound in peril for their lives in these evil times.
There needs to be adequate security at the general hospital, not in the near future, but now!
Whatever the long term plans, enough time has already passed since this unfortunate condition has existed and now it is necessary for immediate action.
The authorities should heed the call of the nurses for a police and army presence 24/7 to deter criminals and trespassers and to protect the patients and the Hospital staff.
In the meantime, the matter of adequate fencing should be vigorously pursued.
In the interest of the well being of our society, the Government is urged to take immediate action.
