Theft is common at St. Paul's Hospital, patient says

A Saskatoon woman is warning patients to keep an eye on their valuables after her father's belongings were stolen while staying at St. Paul's Hospital.

Michelle Linklater said her 74-year-old father, Donald, had been in the hospital since the beginning of August after a farm accident caused him to fall face-first on a metal rod. He's now waiting at the Saskatoon hospital for reconstructive surgery.

I've got no extra clothes to put on because it's not safe to even have them here.- Donald Linklater

On Saturday, the pair decided to leave the room to get some fresh air.

Linklater said they had been gone for about two hours and when they returned to the hospital, her father's room had been ransacked.  

"The stuff, like the underwear, was just scattered on top of his bed and then we realized, you know, what had happened," she explained. 

She said some of the stolen items included a Harley Davidson jacket, a personal computer, clothes, a shaving kit and prescription glasses.

The only thing left behind was a pair of underwear. 

She said after reporting the incident to the hospital's staff, she was told theft was common in that hospital.

"People are getting stuff stolen all the time and my biggest complaint is that we weren't made well aware of, you know, make sure you sleep with your runners on," she added. 

Linklater said a warning should have been mentioned upon their arrival.  

Patient feels uneasy

"I've been in a hospital before and they always say, you know, if you got any real valuable stuff, put it in your locker or something but I've never heard of crime like this going on – somebody coming in and cleaning your room out when you're gone," Donald Linklater said.

He said he feels uneasy leaving the room now without his things.

"I've got no extra clothes to put on because it's not safe to even have them here. There's no place," he said.

According to Donald, something that would help the situation a great deal would be an installation of lockable cabinets in the rooms.

Health region says leave valuable items at home

The Saskatoon Health Region said they cannot assume responsibility for lost or stolen property.

"We understand how distressing losing these items can be," wrote Jennifer Lyons, spokesperson for the health region, in an email to CBC News. 

But she said patients are advised to avoid bringing any valuable items with them for the duration of their stay. 

"The Region does provide closets and bedside tables in patient rooms so that patients can store any personal items away and out of sight," Lyons wrote. "We encourage patients and families to report any lost or stolen items to the nursing unit and the Region's Security Services team."