Hospital clerk defrauds patients

A KAROI Hospital clerk has been fined US$360 (or four months) for defrauding patients. Tatenda Kudzirunga (25) who was employed by Karoi Hospital as a clerk responsible for receipting cash from patients, pleaded guilty to four counts of fraud when he appeared before magistrate Mr Robson Finsin last Thursday.

Public prosecutor Mr Webster Dimingo told the court that during the period between March and July 2010, Kudzirunga of Cottage 29 in Chikangwe Township, on four separate occasions issued US$18 receipts as acknowledgement of payment of hospital fees by patients.

Although Kudzirunga indicated US$18 on the top copy that he handed out to the patients, he separately completed the other duplicate copies where he would indicated US$2. He prejudiced the patients of US$16 in each case.
The offence only came to light when an audit was conducted.

For each count Kudzirunga was sentenced to US$90 or 30 days in jail.

Mr Finsin suspended 30 days on condition Kudzirunga restituted the complainants the total sum of US$64 on or before April 15 this year.

By the end of the day last Friday Kudzirunga was still in prison as he had not yet raised the fine.