Police issue warning about scam which targets elderly residents
The police have issued a warning after several elderly people were conned into letting a stranger into their home who then stole valuable items.
All incidents reported to the police so far have taken place over the last few days. The police issued information and advice to all residents in Basel on Tuesday to help them avoid falling victim to the scam.
The scam:
A stranger, who speaks German, rings the bell at an apartment and pretends to ask the tenant for donations to give to charities and churches. Suddenly he pretends to feel unwell and asks for a towel or a glass of water. While the tenant goes to get him these things, the scammer looks for money or jewellery. It is not clear yet whether this person is carrying out these crimes alone or with others.
The criminal police of the prosecution have issued the following recommendations for residents:
- Do not give foreign people access to your flat or house
- Be wary of strangers
- Do not give any information about your age, marital status, profession or health condition and if you live alone, do not tell strangers
- Do not give any information about your assets or money, jewellery, and valuables
- Do not give any information about credit card numbers, pin codes, passwords, and bank card details
- If you see anyone suspicious in your apartment block, call the police immediately on the emergency phone number 117.
Anyone who can provide information about these crimes is asked to contact the criminal police of the prosecution Basel-Stadt, phone 061 267 71 11 or go to the nearest police station.
Child run over by tram at Aeschenplatz
A six-year-old boy was rushed to hospital after being hit by a tram at Aeschenplatz on Wednesday afternoon.
According to early investigations, the boy broke free from his mother's hand on the platform at the roadside and ran over the tram tracks. He was then struck by a tram which was heading at a slow speed towards the train station. The boy had to be rescued from underneath the tram with the help of a crew of fire fighters from Basel’s fire service.
An emergency doctor was also involved in caring for the child until the paramedics of the Rettung Basel-Stadt took him to hospital. The boy remained conscious throughout the rescue.
The traffic police closed off Aeschengraben towards Aeschenplatz during the rescue operation. Tram traffic to and from the train station was interrupted for around an hour. The transport company BVB organised diversions.
Increase in patients at Basel's private hospitals
In 2017, the eight clinics within the Basel Private Hospital Association (BSPV) experienced an increase of 314 patients compared to the previous year.
The Adullam, Bethesda, Sonnenhalde Riehen, Merian Iselin, palliative centre Hildegard, REHAB Basel, Rehab Chrischona, and St. Clara hospitals last year treated a total of 27,567 inpatients - representing an increase of 1,1 per cent.
The number of days and nights of care provided by all the institutions together was 248,668. A total of 131,042 of these were in acute care, 87,114 were in rehabilitation, 23,785 in psychiatry, and 6727 in palliative medicine.
A total of 125,156 care days were for people from Basel-Stadt, while 77,013 were for patients from Baselland. A further 35,748 care days were for patients from the rest of Switzerland, and 10,751 were for people from abroad.
The share of care days for all the private hospitals with regards to general insurance was 178,251 or 71,7 per cent, whereas for those with half-private or private insurance the figure was 70,375. A spokesperson for the non-profit Basel private hospitals association has emphasised their intention to further secure a considerable part of the basic service for the region's population.
In the areas of acute medicine, psychiatry, rehabilitation, and palliative medicine, the eight Basler private hospitals cover around a quarter of the regional medical service of Basel-Stadt and Baselland, and they offer 2766 full-time equivalent positions.