Vital drugs stolen

By Dion Teasdale
The thefts left one service without vital medication for the treatment of medical emergencies, potentially jeopardising the lives of local residents.
The Yarra Junction Medical Centre and Eastern Access Community Health (EACH), both located on the Warburton Highway in Yarra Junction, were burgled last week.
Police believe the thief broke into the medical centre about 3am on Sunday, 12 February after earlier breaking into the EACH offices shortly after midnight.
Yarra Junction Medical Centre practice manager Alison Dajlan said the thief gained entry to the practice by throwing a piece of concrete through a window in the medical supplies room.
“The thief climbed in, smashed our drugs safe with a hammer and them made a real mess searching for cash and other goods,” she said.
The most worrying aspect of the attack was that the theft left the centre without medication necessary for treating the community, she said.
“Some of the drugs stolen were emergency drugs used for treating people with breathing difficulties and without them people’s lives were jeopardised,” she said.
In addition to stealing restricted medication, the thief also got away with medical centre script pads, close to $800 cash, and a resuscitation kit worth $350 was also destroyed.
Ms Dajlan said the stolen script pads feature the names of the centre’s three doctors – Dr White, Dr Walbran and Dr Colombage – and the clinic’s phone number.
“We have contacted all local chemists and pharmacies and warned them to be on lookout for the script pads,” she said.
“If anyone comes across a fraudulent script they have been urged to call police on 000.”
Ms Dajlan said police had indicated that the thief seemed to be familiar with the layout of the medical centre.
“It is very disturbing to think that the culprit could have been someone who has used our medical services in the past. The thought of having been watched is not nice,” she said.
She also said that this was the first time the medical centre had been burgled since opening almost 10 years ago.
“It is disappointing that we have been attacked now. We are a vital community service and for someone to abuse us in this way is a real concern,” she said.
Ms Dajlan said the practice had reviewed all aspects of its security and handling of cash and drugs on the premises as a result of the attack.
Senior Constable Doug Fisher from Yarra Junction police said officers were investigating the two attacks, and that they were particularly disturbed by the theft of medication from the medical centre.
“It is a concern that some of the drugs taken, if improperly used, could have harmful, if not fatal, results,” he said.
Sen Const Fisher said police believe the same person was involved in both burglaries.
“While it appears nothing was stolen from EACH, the offices were ransacked in what looks like a search for drugs and cash,” he said.
Sen Const Fisher said police were following a number of leads and he urged anyone with information to contact Yarra Junction police on 5967 1104.