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Hospital theft adds pressure on CHC’s tight budget • $23,000 spent to replace stolen hospital gowns, linens, according to Sec. Villagomez
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Posted on Sep 02 1999
Faced with limited funds to run the Commonwealth Health Center, Public Health Secretary Joseph Kevin Villagomez has issued an appeal to the hospital’s patients: Don’t take the hospital gowns, bed sheets, linens, and pillows with you when you go home.
A week ago, some $23,000 were spent to replace stolen hospital gowns and linens which Villagomez said could have been used to purchase other supplies.
The increasing problem of hospital theft has exasperated the health chief because at one point, he said, patients who were to undergo x-ray exam had to use towels to cover themselves after the hospital personnel discovered that they already ran out of gowns.
“I am requesting the community to respect the facility. We will bring in the best possible care but it’s got to be a two-way street. I know this is just being done by a small member of the community,” said Villagomez.
Vandalism has also become a cause for concern. Aside from the usual writings on the wall, some people have bored holes through it.
With the department’s tight budget, Villagomez has been trying to maximize federal grants to offset the cost of implementing certain programs.
DPH will receive a $33.9 million budget for Fiscal 2000, the same amount which the department received this year. At least 80 percent of the appropriation will go to salaries of personnel alone while the remaining amount will be spent for operations.
The department has implemented a freeze in hiring of non-medical personnel but it has been recruiting specialists from the U.S. mainland to beef up the current medical staff.
Asked about allegations on inefficiency of some doctors in CHC, Villagomez said he is more than willing to address them as long as such accusations are substantiated.
“If I do find credence to those allegations, I will act on it … even to the point of terminating the services of that medical staff,” he said.
