‘Quartz jugglery’ at A’pura Hospital Radio Therapy Unit

Nimal WIJESINGHE, Anuradhapura additional district group correspondent

ANURADHAPURA: The Anuradhapura Police are probing to ascertain if the X-ray equipment at the Radio Therapy Unit of Anuradhapura Teaching Hospital has been utilised to polish and convert quartz (Gevuda) valuable gems.

Investigations are being conducted on a complaint by Teaching Hospital Authorities to the Police.

The OIC of the Crime Detection Branch of Anuradhapura Police, Chief Inspector M.G. Wijeratne told the Daily News that statements have been recorded from four hospital employees including a female minor employee attached to the X-ray unit, her husband who is also a minor employee of the hospital and the watcher. Investigations were held to trace any suspicious finger-prints and clues, he stated.

“There is evidence that a window of the Radiotherapy room had been removed and re-fixed.

“It was disclosed at the inquiries that five keys of the unit were kept in the restroom of the unit and only the key of the restroom had been handed over to the Police Keys Protection Unit after the closing of the unit daily. It is an irregular procedure.

“We found the bunch of keys of the Radiotherapy Section dumped on the floor of the restroom.

“We noticed that the padlock holder fixed to the door of the Restroom had been broken,” Chief Inspector Wijeratne said.

Dr. H. Karunatilake, Deputy Director of the Teaching Hospital said acting on an anonymous telephone call that some hospital employees were involved in a racket of shining and burning quartz (gevuda menik) at night at the Radio therapy building, a complaint was lodged at Anuradhapura Police.