By Ayman Amzein.
Benghazi, 22 February 2014:
The accident and emergency (A&E) department at Benghazi Medical Centre (BMC) was robbed by gunmen on . . .[restrict]Wednesday with the thieves stealing mobile phones from members of staff.
A member of staff at BMC told the Libya Herald on condition of anonymity that the four men, who carried automatic rifles, also made off with a flat-screen TV before fleeing the scene. The robbery took place in the early hours of the morning.
A&E staff subsequently called a strike over the lack in security. The same source said authorities had failed to take the situation seriously and needed to take proper steps to address the issue.
The closure of BMC’s A&E department is a serious blow to residents of Benghazi and the surrounding area. The hospital receives patients from as far away as Tobruk, Sirte and Kufra.
Nine days ago, Benghazi Joint Security Room members met with staff at the hospital to try to find a solution to increasingly frequent security problems after weapons were brandished during an argument between the families of two patients.
Earlier this month Benghazi’s Al-Jelaa Hospital closed temporarily after a number of patients were reportedly injured when gunmen opened fire on hospital security guards.
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