Nurses at the Tupua Tamasese Meaole Hospital are concerned that the patient's properties continue to be stolen and items include money and phones.

Nurses Samoa Observer spoke to did not want to divulge their names because of fear of losing their jobs. They said it was an issue that they knew the management of the Ministry of Health was not taking lightly.

A nurse at the Maternity Ward said a pregnant woman fled with three cell phones from the room she was admitted in December.

The three patients who owned these cell phones were angry and complained to the nurses and security present at the time. The patients raised concerns and said security cameras should be in every room to avoid such illegal activities.

A nurse from Acute Eight said there were also some complaints from patients admitted in November last year that some of their money was stolen when they were taken for x-rays.

It was not possible to get a comment from the head doctors of the wards at TTM Hospital about this matter but Samoa Observer was told that the issue of security cameras to be re-installed has been raised to the management.

This matter said a security guard at the national hospital should not be taken lightly by the management because they end up being the ones dealing with the patients.

"Security cameras should be re-installed in all the rooms of all the wards to avoid these incidents," said a security personnel.

Some of the patients also raised concerns over the issue of security at the national hospital.

A heart patient at Acute Eight said the ministry should look into ways to avoid theft from the hospital, especially patients' belongings.

Another man in his 50s undergoing treatments at Acute Seven also echoed the same view. He said there were properties stolen from some of the rooms in their ward and it's concerning to see that there were no security cameras to track down these thieves.

"The management of MOH or whoever is responsible should come up with a quick solution to this problem because it's the patients' belongings that are stolen," this patient said.

Meanwhile, a 17-year-old was charged by the police for posing as a medical student at the National Hospital more than a week ago.

He has been remanded in custody after being charged with theft and impersonation.

It is one of the many incidents happening at the Moto'otua Hospital where properties of the patients being admitted in some of the wards were stolen.

The young man will appear in the Supreme Court for mention next month.

Questions were emailed to the Assistant Chief Executive Officer of MOH responsible for these issues but remain unanswered.