Hospital Board loses $15,000 to thieves

Press, 15 September 1988, Page 5

Hospital Board loses $15,000 to thieves

Two sun umbrellas, two vacuum cleaners, and two apnoea monitors were among the many items stolen from the Canterbury Hospital Board in the last year, the board’s health services committee was told yesterday. Since August, 1987, there had been 74 reported thefts and 28 incidents involving board staff and property, a report to the committee showed. Losses suffered by staff included six wallets, nine cars, three leather jackets, eight bicycles, two purses, and three

watches. Items taken from the board included a syringe and five needles, roof tiles, two electric razors, a table, flowers, a telephone, cervical adaptors, and drugs. About $15,000 of board property in total had been stolen, said the medical superintendent-in-chief, Dr Ross Fairgray. “If we did not have to pay the cost of security, we could provide more nurses

or whatever.” Incidents at board institutions were mainly cases involving intruders who were either arrested or scared off. The executive manager, support services, Mr David Dawe, who prepared the report, said that a comparison with last year’s figures showed a drop in thefts and a slight rise in the number of incidents. “Neither figure is considered to be high in relation to total staff, patients, and property belonging to the board,”

said Mr Dawe. “Once again, most incidents were seen and reported by staff, and there was a significant involvement by staff in challenging persons considered to be suspicious. “This level of awareness is probably a major factor in keeping crime at a low level as is the high profile of the security company.”