Terror Threat to My Hospital

Three days ago someone sent a threat email to our hospital, threatening to blow it up. We read about it in the newspaper. It was supposedly because some woman in a veil (Burqua) was allegedly insulted in the hospital. The first security measure they took was to close two gates. When we reached the gate with our luggage and were in a hurry to meet the entry deadline and start working, we were discouraged by closed gate and no explanation. We managed to find an open gate and went in. They must have thought that closing two gates was adequate for security. So all entry points into the hospital building had near zero security. The metal detectors were nowhere to be seen. A couple of days went by. Today we reached the usual entrance to the building with our luggage and were in a hurry to meet the entry deadline and start working, we were discouraged by closed entrance. There was no notice stating the act, nor the reason for the same. I talked to the time keeper in the adjacent office through his open window and requested him to find out what the matter was. He rang up the security office and discovered that the gate would be open only between 7:00 and 8:00 A.M. So we were expected to reach it before 8:00 A.M. to get in even if our duty started at 9:00 A.M., or go around and through the crowded emergency area to reach our workplace. I had to choose the latter, because I could not go back in time. I found eight to ten (could not spend time counting) around the main gate, doing nothing because there was n work for so many of them. I asked them why such a thing was done without any information to anyone. The senior guard said the Boss had said the circular was sent three days ago. I told him the circulars reached destinations always a couple of months later. He smiled. He seemed to know that already. I found my way through the crowded emergency area. No one checked my bag, nor anyone else’s bag for bombs or whatever the terrorists use. The security guards must not have seen the great movie “A Wednesday” where Nasiruddin Shah had shown very well how it is done. If they knew about it, they hid their knowledge well, waiting for the BOSS to tell them. The biometric attendance system did not work in the emergency area as it never did. We had to go back to the banks of the attendance machines, log in, and then go to work. “Why do they not tell us what they plan to do?” someone asked no one in particular.. “They don’t want to put out circulars because the terrorists will read those and know the security measures adopted” someone answered. “They want us to discover the measures ourselves. If they tell us about those, the fun of discovery will be lost” said someone else. “They must not have the time to tell us, with so much to do to maintain security” someone offered. “They probably do not think it is necessary to tell us” another person said. “People who deserve to be told must have already been told. We should just keep working and take whatever is dished out to us, because we get salary for that.” This person sounded rather unhappy with the treatment received in the hospital. “What difference would it make if we were told?” someone asked. “Are they going to take our suggestions and improve the security measures?” “I have a good suggestion” a bright person said. “Every ward should have at least 20% of the patients of the community that has been insulted. Then they will not blow up the hospital.”