Conmen on the prowl to loot patients in Pune hospitals

Pune hospitals have stepped up surveillance on their premises following a spate of incidents where conmen, posing as doctors, hospital staff and relatives of patients have robbed patients.

Two such incidents were reported from Ruby Hall Clinic and Jehangir Hospital in the past 10 days, where conmen stole jewellery and cash from patients.

Shockingly, the hospital managements say that the incidents reported to the police are only the tip of the iceberg. “For every case that’s reported, at least a dozen go unreported to the police.

For example, two days ago someone stole money from a special room occupied by a corporator. The victim suspected that it was an insider’s job, but it could have been anyone,” said Ruby Hall Clinic chief security officer, Lt Col (retd) Satishkumar Bhatia.

In the incident reported to the police, the conman had entered the room of one Aftaabbi Daruwale, 75, and asked her son to collect reports from the ground floor. Taking advantage of his absence, he made away with valuables worth Rs42,000 kept on the table near her bed.

However, Bhatia blamed the patient’s relatives for not being alert. “The hospital rules specify that patients or relatives should not keep valuables in the room, but people don’t listen to us. We have also told patients not to entertain strangers in the room and only talk to the consulting doctor or assigned nurses. The relatives should not have believed the conman and have asked the nurse on floor to intervene,” he said.

While the conman was caught on the closed circuit television (CCTV) camera and posters have been put up in the hospital with his photos, no such luck favoured Pushpaben Shah who was robbed by a conman in Jehangir Hospital.

An unidentified man aged between 25 and 30 years entered her room twice when she and her husband were resting. The first time he merely checked on her and the second time he removed her gold bangles and pretended to keep them aside. “The patient’s husband said he assumed the conman was a hospital employee. Our advice to patients is to remain alert, report any such incidents to the hospital security as there are organised groups on the prowl in hospitals,” said Jehangir Hospital medical superintendent, Dr Prasad Mogrikar.

KEM Hospital deputy medical superintendent, Dr Shubhada Sharma, said two such thefts took place about six to eight months ago in the hospital.

“The modus operandi was similar. Conmen posing as doctors befriend patients and decamp with valuables. They are yet to be caught,” she said.

However, the Ruby Hall Clinic security chief said another method to loot patients was offering to get the bill amount reduced. “Conmen approach relatives as staffers and say that they can get the bill reduced for a commission. After paying up, people realise they have been conned,” said Bhatia. He complained that people do not cooperate with hospitals in security checks and object to baggage scans and reducing the footfalls of relatives, which leads to such incidents.

“These conmen earn the confidence of relatives and are often seen with them, which confuses the security staff. If they move around with relatives repeatedly, there is no reason to suspect them. That’s why relatives should keep strangers at bay,” he said.