By Tinashe Mungazi
Police in Hwange are investigating a case in which 18 Covid-19 vaccination cards were stolen from St Patrick’s hospital on Thursday amid fears that they were going to be sold to those that were avoiding vaccination.
According to sources, the incident is said to have taken place during a vaccination exercise as the nurse manning the site had left the cards to attend to a patient with growing concerns that it could have been an inside job.
“A crisis meeting was convened by the hospital administrators to try and salvage the situation. There are growing fears that the development could have been the work of a hospital employee as the cards were left in an office. The serving of patients was also delayed as a result of the missing cards as the hospital management were trying to ascertain what had happened. In the end, all that was left to do was to bring in the police,” said the source.
Some unscrupulous individuals have been selling fake Covid-19 test certificates and of late vaccination cards to those who have been shunning the jab.
Matabeleland North police spokesperson, Inspector Glory Banda confirmed the development adding that no arrests had been made yet.
“Yes, I can confirm that some vaccination cards were stolen from St Patrick’s hospital in Hwange and the matter is still under investigation. No arrests have been made yet,” he said.
According to the source on 18 August at around 0730 am Tatenda Maposa, a nurse at the hospital was given a sealed batch with 243 Covid-19 vaccination cards serial numbers 00211758-2000 as she commenced her duties at the Family Child Health Care department.
“She issued the vaccination cards up to serial number 00211778 and left the vaccination room to attend a patient at the Antenatal clinic around 1400hrs. She left the door and window opened with the Covid 19-vaccination card serial number 00211779-00212000 on top of the table. She returned at around 1430hrs and discovered that 18 Covid-19 vaccination cards were missing,” said the police.
She immediately notified her superior who in turn made a report to the police who attended the scene.
