Kit snatched from ambulance
Life-saving medical gear has been snatched from the back of an ambulance while paramedics were busy treating a patient in Blenheim.
Two ambulance crews were called to a house on Saturday night when ‘‘opportunistic’’ thieves stole the expensive equipment.
St John Marlborough territory manager Murray Neal said it was the first time in more than 10 years in the job he could recall such a theft. ‘‘These people have taken advantage of someone else’s misfortune, that’s the disappointing part,’’ he said.
The advanced paramedic kits, which were kept in a green backpack, retailed for about $2000 each. The kit would not be of use to people outside the medical community as it contained specialised gear to drill into bone and intubate patients, Neal said.
‘‘We don’t use this equipment for every job, it’s for higher-end jobs . . . It is for people who are really, really sick.’’
The kit was more about physical equipment than medications, Neal said.
‘‘It contains some important life-saving equipment, and it is higher-end life-saving equipment,’’ he said.
St John Marlborough revealed in March it needed an extra $1000 a day to meet its organisational spend.
‘‘It’s annoying and an inconvenience. Now some of our money will have to go to buying equipment we already had,’’ Neal said.
It was not possible to lock up every piece of equipment due to the fast-paced nature of medical events, Neal said.
Blenheim police had been notified, and Neal was hopeful the thief would realise the specialist nature of the equipment and return it to St John.
‘‘We’re more interested in getting it back than anything else,’’ he said.
Anyone with information is asked to contact Blenheim police on 03 578 5279 or give information anonymously by calling Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.