Security lapse blamed for theft of equipment from Chuka hospital
Chuka OCPD Beatrice Kiraguri speaks to workers at Chuka Referral Hospital on May 3, 2016. An anaesthesia machine was stolen from the hospital’s maternity theatre last week. The police have blamed the incident on poor security. PHOTO | ALEX NJERU | NATION MEDIA GROUP
What you need to know:
- Ms Kiraguri said the machine was poorly stored in a building that was under construction and anyone, including the builders, could access it.
- She said the machine could have been taken out of the room through a back door and sneaked out of the hospital through the mortuary gate.
- County Health Executive Magdalene Njeru asked the police to speed up the investigations and arrest those linked to the theft.
- Ms Njeru noted that a hospital motorbike was also stolen in 2015 and has never been traced.
Police investigating the theft of a Sh4 million anaesthesia kit from Chuka Hospital in Tharaka-Nithi County have blamed the incident on poor security at the facility.
Speaking at the hospital, Chuka/Igambang’ombe OCPD Beatrice Kiraguri said police had established that the hospital was poorly manned during the night thus making it possible for criminal activities to occur.
She said the machine was poorly stored in a building that was under construction and anyone, including the builders, could access it.
“We partly blame the hospital’s management because such a machine would have been stored in a [safer] place where very few people can access it,” said Ms Kiraguri.
She said the machine could have been taken out of the room through a back door and sneaked out of the hospital through the mortuary gate.
She noted that police had interrogated a number of hospital workers who were on duty and were getting reliable information.
“Very soon we will be able to arrest a number of suspects,” she said.
CULPRITS TO BE SACKED
County Health Executive Magdalene Njeru asked the police to speed up the investigations and arrest those linked to the theft.
She said that anyone linked to the incident would be sacked as prosecution continued.
“We want the suspects to be arrested so that we can also process their sacking as soon as possible even if it is the top management,” said Ms Njeru.
Ms Njeru noted that the equipment was among those given to the hospital by the national government under a managed equipment scheme.
She said the kit requires special expertise to operate and thus whoever stole it could be an expert in handling it.
"We suspect that the crime is an inside job. We will use all means [possible] to recover the machine.
“We will not leave any stone unturned even if it means interrogating all hospital workers,” she stressed.
Ms Njeru noted that a hospital motorbike was also stolen in 2015 and has not been recovered.
And speaking at Ngeru Primary School, Tharaka-Nithi Governor Samuel Ragwa said any attempt to sabotage his efforts to improve the county would not succeed.
He called on the police to intensify investigations and arrest the suspects.
The machine was stolen on Wednesday night last week.
