Coronavirus – Spanish doctor caught trying to steal 300 masks from hospital to take to home village faces the sack – The Sun
A DOCTOR is under investigation at a Costa del Sol hospital after allegedly being caught trying to take 300 face masks — following shortages and price hikes amid the coronavirus outbreak.
The Virgen de la Victoria University Hospital in Malaga has launched an internal probe into the medic.
He is expected to face disciplinary action which could include dismissal if the probe confirms he had breached hospital rules.
The unnamed medic, a trauma doctor, is said to have been caught trying to remove 12 boxes of surgical masks from a storeroom.
Local reports said he had claimed he wanted to take them to the village where he lived and hand them round to worried friends and neighbours.
A hospital spokesman confirmed an internal investigation was underway.
She said: “If the health professional is found to have acted improperly, the internal probe will lead to discliplinary proceedings.
“Any punishment would be decided by the regional health authority.”
If the health professional is found to have acted improperly, the internal probe will lead to discliplinary proceedings
Confirmation of the alleged attempted theft came as it emerged regional health chiefs have called police in over the disappearance of hand sanitiser gels and and protective equipment at Villajoyosa Hospital near Benidorm.
An internal memo has reportedly been sent round to staff at the hospital and another hospital in Valencia where 20 boxes of face masks are said to have vanished, warning them theft of such material is a “serious infringement” and a “security risk.”
Earlier this month it emerged thieves had stolen 6,000 face masks from a locked storage facility at the Japanese Red Cross hospital in the port city of Kobe in Japan.
An official was quoted as saying: “We still have a large number of masks — enough to continue our daily operations at the hospital, but this is so deplorable.”
Amazon has warned third-party sellers on its Marketplace platform against huge price hikes.
Elsewhere, in the UK, pharmacies are facing a shortage of face masks as the spread of coronavirus sparked panic among shoppers.
Signs reading "face masks are sold out" were spotted on tills at one shop in a sleepy Gloucestershire village.
The most popular options for surgical face masks are said to have quadrupled in price in some cases.
Those areas worst hit by coronavirus have all faced unprecedented demand for face masks which has led to shortages or them being completely sold out.
Health experts say there is no point most people wearing face masks and their main use is to prevent people who are already poorly from spreading the virus.
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