Patient caught smoking cannabis while hospitalised

By Adel Fruean 11 January 2019, 12:00AM

A male patient who was admitted at the Tupua Tamasese Meaole Hospital at Motootua during the week of New Year was taken into police custody for smoking cannabis while hospitalised.

The incident occurred on January 4, according to a man who is currently admitted in the hospital, whose identity cannot be revealed due to patient confidentiality.

A guardian reported the actions of the patient to hospital staff who alerted the Police. 

“There was a male patient that we all shared a room with, on the day of the incident — it was a guardian of the patient next to me — that reported to the doctors and nurses about the male patient who smoked cannabis on his hospital bed. 

“The room was filled with the scent and it circulated around the ward. The doctors and nurses immediately contacted the police and later police officers then came to escort the male patient into their custody. 

“We are not aware if he has been released or has he returned to the hospital but this is the first time I have experienced something like this — but it is more shocking that it happened inside a hospital,” the patient said.

Dr. Tagaloa Robert Thomsen, the A.C.E.O. of Health Service Performance and Quality Assurance – Medical and Allied Division, told the Samoa Observer that he is not aware of the matter and would not comment further if it is now a Police matter. 

“This is the first time I have heard of this matter but if the police are involved then I cannot comment because it has become a police matter. We leave the matter into the hands of the police to do their work,” he said.

Attempts by the Samoa Observer to get comments from the Police were unsuccessful. 

By Adel Fruean 11 January 2019, 12:00AM
Samoa Observer

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