SERHA recruits ex-cop to crack down on thieves - Chairman cites ‘revolving door of theft’ in hospitals, clinics
Published:Thursday | March 19, 2020 | 12:00 AMErica Virtue/Senior Gleaner Writer
Come next Monday, the South East Regional Health Authority (SEHRA) will have a retired senior police officer as part of its team to complement workers to strengthen the body’s investigative capacity in the wake of the theft of anti-COVID-19 protective gear at public hospitals and health centres.
SEHRA Chairman Wentworth Charles said the authority was forced to take the drastic step to “stem the revolving door of theft in several institutions under SEHRA”.
“This is another step into the security measures that we have to put in place to stem the theft of government property in our hospitals. Digital codes for doors will be instituted in specific locations, and, where necessary, it will require electronic swipe cards,” Charles told The Gleaner.
Closed-circuit television will complement the security measures being implemented, he said.
“The individuals will be a former senior police superintendent. He will be employed to take charge of the enhanced internal security and carry out investigations to deal with any matter to deal with internal breaches and irregularities. We are hoping to increase the number to three, shortly,” Charles also stated.
“Theft has been a problem for years. It’s like a revolving door. The goods come in today through the front door and disappear right after through the back door,” he said Wednesday.
“The hospitals most badly affected are Kingston Public, Victoria Jubilee, Spanish Town, Princess Margaret, and, to a lesser extent, Linstead.”
CLINIC THREAT
He also disclosed that a few days ago, several boxes of supplies also disappeared from the Comprehensive Clinic at Slipe Pen Road. Reports indicate that there was no forced entry to the storage area, he said.
In the latest incident of theft, Charles said that KPH lost regular gloves of all sizes, surgical masks, personal protective equipment, including protective shoes worn for surgery.
“In an epidemic such as we face now, we will have to replace all of those to protect our own medical personnel,” he said.
The police conducted a raid at Brown’s Funeral Parlour on North Street, Kingston, last Friday. The building is located near to KPH.
The raid, which was conducted by the Counter-Terrorism and Organised Crime, seized 25 cases of gloves and masks, suspected to have been stolen from the hospital.
No one was arrested.
The company has issued a statement, saying it was cooperating with the investigation.
In January 2019, Kemar Samuels, 27, and his mother Joy Brown, a patient-care assistant at KPH, were arrested after police raided her home in Manley Meadows, Kingston, on January 14 and found 62 boxes of examination gloves, 1,000 urine bags, six rolls of hand towels, 17 boxes of cotton wool, and nine rolls of surgical tape.
Both were arrested and charged with simple larceny and receiving stolen property.
Charles said search policies at hospitals would be enforced by security personnel.