Health Minister Liow Tiong Lai said security procedures at all government hospitals would be tightened to prevent a breach that led to the theft of RM1 million worth of medicines, including cough syrup, antibiotics and fever medicine from the Kuala Lumpur Hospital recently.
Liow said an internal audit would be carried out to identify the cause and to prevent similar incidents in the future.
He also urged the police to complete investigations quickly so that the medicines recovered can be returned and dispensed before its expiry date.
“Since the medicines are expensive, it is important to ensure their condition before dispensing to patients,” he told reporters after laying the foundation for the National Cancer Institute (IKN) building yesterday.
Also present was Works Minister Datuk Seri Shaziman Abu Mansor.
On Tuesday police announced that the theft of 16 types of drugs worth RM1 million was considered solved with the arrest of one more suspect, a staff of Temerloh Hospital, on Sunday.
Police had earlier detained two suspects, both staff of the Kuala Lumpur Hospital, a cleaner and a pharmacist.
The theft was of 16 types of drugs was first detected by a hospital worker who was checking the inventory at 7.25am on Dec 27.
Police later went to the Jalan Duta government complex car park at 7.30pm on New Year’s Day and found more than a dozen canvas bags containing all the stolen medicine in a dumpster.
– Bernama
CJMY
Jimmy Tan
