Health care may be free in Canada, but a man from Ontario left a Vancouver emergency room with a much lighter wallet than he arrived with.
That’s because Wayne Houle had $250 allegedly stolen from his hospital room while undergoing an emergency CT scan.
The retired factory worker’s vacation took a turn for the worse Thursday when he started experiencing health problems.
“They were scared I was having another stroke up there at the clinic, so they shipped me down by ambulance,” he said.
He was taken to Vancouver General Hospital, where doctors ordered a CT scan for the 68-year-old from Stratford, Ontario.
“Just before I went in I counted all my money. I knew exactly how much money I had,” he said. “I’m very smart because, I do deliver food too.”
Houle said he was in the CT room with three technicians, and following the scan, one of them retrieved his shorts from across the room.
“Sure enough, there’s $250 missing out of my wallet,” he said. “I don’t want to cause too many problems. I just want my money back, y’know, like I’ve been violated.”
Houle said he reported the alleged theft to the police, who told him their hands were tied unless the found a suspect.
Vancouver Coastal Health issued a statement calling it “an unfortunate incident,” but reminded the public that “hospitals are open, public places that are not locked down, which is why we remind everyone not to bring their valuables to the hospital, though we understand this isn’t always possible, especially in an emergency situation.”
Patients also have the options of having staff lock away valuables in an on-site staff, according to VCH.
They’re currently investigating the incident.
Houle admits he made a mistake carrying so much cash with him.
“I’m on holidays and I do carry a lot of money with me, because I like to make my wife happy,” he said.
With a report from CTV British Columbia’s Penny Daflos
