Hakim Hayat

The alleged theft of personal belongings from a COVID-19 patient who recovered at the National Isolation Centre (NIC) in Tutong has been handed over to the police, Minister of Health Dato Seri Setia Dr Haji Mohd Isham bin Haji Jaafar told the Sunday Bulletin yesterday.

The minister said the matter is being investigated. In a post on Instagram on Friday accompanied with pictures, the patient who said he was discharged on Friday, claimed that some of his belongings which included valuable items such as cash and electronics were missing from his bag that went through a disinfection procedure at the NIC before he was released.

He also claimed that important documents such as identification card and passport were thrown into a contaminated bin. The pictures posted by the victim among others showed his wallet emptied of cash and documents thrown away in what appears to be a yellow bin used to dispose hazardous material.

Thanking the doctors, nurses and NIC staff for their service, the victim in his post said he wanted to remind patients and the NIC staff to be aware that such incident may happen to them too.

“I humbly request (the) relevant party to take action to avoid further mishaps from happening again,” he added in his post. The Royal Brunei Police Force (RBPF) also confirmed receiving a report on the incident and said they are conducting an investigation.

The Sunday Bulletin attempted to reach out to the victim yesterday but did not receive a reply as of press time.