A BEIJING hospital was robbed of 1.2 million yuan (US$155,000) in cash at the gate of its out-patient department Monday afternoon, the Beijing News reported yesterday.

At about 3:30 p.m., a security guard named Wang Liejie who works at the Beijing Cancer Hospital escorted the money from the registration office to the out-patient department.

Wang, accompanied by two other hospital employees, was attacked by two men as he left the registration office. He lost the bag full of money when one of the robbers threatened and injured him with a knife. He suffered concussion and a broken nose and was treated in hospital.

Two robbers then fled from the hospital to a neighboring residential area and escaped in a car. The car registration number was recorded by an elderly person walking nearby.

Detectives said it appeared the robbery and the escape had been carefully planned.

(SD-Agencies)