Hospital EKG machine missing?

For several months a new “heart machine’ valued at over $20,000 had been unaccounted for at the Milton Cato Memorial Hospital and Hospital Administrator Vida Tesheira says that it was a simple case of forgetfulness on the part of a staffer.

“The person who put it away forgot where he had placed it,” said Tesheira, who admitted that when she asked about the machine’s whereabouts, it could not be located.{{more}}

She insists that she never suspected theft, and that was the reason why no report had been made to the police.

She had only been giving the person time to remember where the machine had been placed.

The brand new Electro Cardiogram, E.K.G machine, valued at £4,000 sterling had been donated to the hospital last October from the 10-year-old Vincentian Hospital Appeal Fund based in Oxford, England.

Tesheira told SEARCHLIGHT that in the absence of proper storage at the hospital, things are stored in various “little corners” which can present a problem when it is time to locate the items.

She said that the Hospital Administration has looked into the storage problem but any proper storage facility would have to be outside from the Hospital because of a lack of space.

“It could happen to any one of us, you put something down and forgot where you left it,” Tesheira said coolly, but some may argue that an equipment valued over EC$20,000 should not be “misplaced.”

While sources close to the hospital still have questions about the machine’s whereabouts, Tesheira told SEARCHLIGHT that “it is in my possession,” when we contacted her last Tuesday.