WOODLANDS Hospital on Carmichael Street, Georgetown, was robbed by a lone gunman yesterday morning of a bag containing $1.1M in cash.

Police reported that about 09:00 hrs on July 1, 2013, Accounts Clerk attached to the Woodlands Hospital, Sattie Persaud, 47, was conveying a bag with $1.1M to the Hospital’s Accounts Office when she was held up by a man armed with a firearm who took away the cash and her cell phone and escaped.
A taxi-driver has been arrested and is in police custody assisting with the investigations.
Matron Mariamma John told the Guyana Chronicle yesterday that about 09:00 hrs an unmasked man armed with a handgun relieved the cashier at gunpoint of a bag containing cash.
She explained that the cashier had collected the bag with cash from the top floor and was about to enter the Accounts Department which is located on the ground floor of the building when she was surprised by the bandit.
John added that the robbery happened within the space of five to 10 minutes and the frightened cashier had no choice but to hand over the money.
The matron noted that after the robbery police were summoned, but by then the lone robber had fled the scene and the cashier and Accounts staffers were all questioned at the Brickdam Police Station.
Employees of the hospital said that they were alerted about the robbery by the cashier as the gunman was fleeing but they were forced to abandon their pursuit when he began waving the gun in the air threatening to shoot them.
This caused the employees to stop but they observed that the robber managed to hijack a black Toyota Raum car and robbed the driver of money and gold jewellery he was wearing before he drove off in the vehicle.
He, however, abandoned the car some distance away and the vehicle is lodged with the police but the bandit made good his escape.
Employees of Woodlands Hospital said the bandit was alone, unmasked, had on a shades and a multi-coloured shirt and jeans with a haversack and was observed as he calmly walked into the hospital and waited for the cashier. They thought he was a patient or he was waiting on someone since hospital persons are not screened upon entering the institution.
The delivery of money from the cashier’s cage at Woodlands Hospital is a norm and it is believed that the robbery was orchestrated.
The incident yesterday has left staffers ‘jumpy’ but the matron said that they will beef up security in light of the robbery and will have a security guard inside the building especially at the cashier’s cage as security personnel are  located in front of the hospital.
Although the hospital remained open for business yesterday, many were overheard discussing the armed robbery in hushed tones.