Stealing Endoscopes and Colonoscopes

The Post-Gazette reports that Pennsylvania hospitals are experiencing a rash of thefts of expensive endoscopes and colonoscopes. Thieves took four colonoscopes from Armstrong County Memorial Hospital last weekend and Mount Nittany Medical Center in State College lost two colonoscopes to theft in July.

In Lakeland, Florida, the FBI continues investigating the theft of 19 total devices, consisting of seven different models of Olympus endoscopes, gastroscopes, colonoscopes and duodenoscopes, from Winter Haven Hospital.

Apparently, the purloined probes are valued at over $20,000 each and there's a market, both domestic and foreign. Theft is also facilitated by each having a carrying case similar to a laptop computer. Walking out the door with one would go unnoticed.

Interestingly, the thefts of the scopes occur in places that effectively control theft of medications down to the individual tablet. While precisely accounting for medicines and neglecting to control high-value devices, it would appear that general management oversight of hospital equipment is reckless or, at least, naive. Also to consider is the fact that the thieves are probably not strangers. Only frequent visitors or employees of the hospitals would know where the devices are customarily stored and their resale value.

Consequently, as a concerned citizen, I offer this tip to investigators looking for the thieves. Inside job.