West Dem. Hospital staffers attacked by drunk patient, relatives

May 02, 2017 News

The security at the West Demerara Regional Hospital (WDRH) is being questioned after a group of intoxicated persons physically attacked medical staffers at the hospital and destroyed a number of items, including furniture,

A section of the hospital where the assailants unleashed their fury.

when they were told that the X-Ray machine was out of order.
The drama played out in the hospital’s Emergency Unit on Sunday in the presence of a number of patients, who tried to rescue the staffers.
A security guard was attacked during the brawl which allegedly involved seven intoxicated persons—out numbering the hospital staffers.
In the end, the cops were called in, and the attackers were taken to the Vreed-en-Hoop Police Station where they gave statements and were allowed to leave to seek treatment at the Diagnostic Centre.
According to information received, a group of intoxicated persons went to the hospital to take a male patient, who was also under the influence of alcohol. It is unclear why the individual was seeking medical attention.
This newspaper was informed that after being examined, the patient was told that the X-ray machine was not working. It was then that he allegedly got up and started behaving in an erratic manner, pelting around chairs in the Emergency room and throwing documents from a nearby desk.
Eyewitnesses say that the persons who took the patient to the hospital barged into the Emergency room and joined him in attacking the staffers at the institution. When the security guard responded, he too was attacked and pushed into a corner. The total number of staffers who were assaulted is unclear, but the guard, two doctors, a nurse and lab technicians were said to be victims of Sunday night’s drama.
Kaieteur News was informed that the staffers at the hospital have made numerous reports about having more security guards at the hospital—this matter was addressed with the institution’s administration and officials at the Ministry of Health, but nothing has been done as yet.
“We have never had patients coming in and hitting the staff, that was the first, but we have had persons coming here cursing out staffers at the hospital,” one male worker said.
He explained that during the day, there is more than one guard, but in the night, there is usually one guard at the front of the Emergency room.
“The guards they have cannot do anything, because some of them are so old that they can hardly walk,” the staffer pointed out, while adding that he was not there when the attack occurred but was informed about it.
Calls to the hospital yesterday went unanswered. A report has reportedly been made with the Ministry of Health.
When the parliamentary Sectoral Committee on Social Services visited the Diamond Regional Hospital a little over two months ago, doctors and nurses had also expressed their concern with the security situation at the hospital.