Doctors at the San Fernando General Hospital once more are demanding a safe working environment following an attack of one of their colleagues, Dr Jason Diljohn, by a woman visitor on Wednesday evening.
Doctors say they have shown great restraint but find it unacceptable when they have to work in an environment that was clearly unsafe and becoming even more insecure.
They called for an emergency meeting with the CEO of the South West Regional Health Authority (SWRHA) Anil Gosine and head of the security. Gosine confirmed that the relative of a patient reportedly slapped and shoved the doctor who is attached to the paediatric ward of the new San Fernando Teaching Hospital.
He said security at the hospital held the woman who was subsequently charged and appeared before a San Fernando magistrate. (See story on page)
The San Fernando Hospital Doctors Association has since written to the SWRHA chairman, Dr Lackram Bodoe and Gosine, saying this was the latest in a series of security breaches at the hospital’s compound involving doctors.
It said a previous meeting with Gosine and the head of security a few weeks ago yielded little, if any, positive results.
Recalling two incidents in which a female emergency doctor was abducted in the carpark last year and another female doctor in the Opthalmology Department was issued a death threat, the association said the authorities must expeditiously address those serious and escalating incidents.
“It is an established understanding there is a sacred covenant between the employer and employees whereby the employer undertakes to provide a safe working environment for employees,” a circular posted on the hospital notice board yesterday read.
Gosine responded: “They can say that but we have done quite a lot to improve security on the compound since those incidents some months ago.
“We have increased the security, both internally and private security. If doctors want security to escort them to their cars, we have put that in place. At every level of the teaching hospital we have security.
“In fact, security was on the floor when that incident took place and when told what was happening the security dealt with the situation.
“If a patient slaps a doctor at that point in time, I mean we will do everything possible to deal with the situation but we can’t have security everywhere.
“We will do everything we can to deal with the situation but we cannot have security guards everywhere. What happened is just unfortunate. I have already met with the doctors but if they have further concerns I would be willing to met with them.”
Health Minister Dr Fuad Khan also commended the security officer for taking charge of the situation.
Khan said often times the officers were criticised for their inability to handle situations at the hospital.
“I want to commend the officer for handling the situation in a very professional manner.
“It shows that the customer service we are doing is really working,” he added.
He said it also showed security measures were working and did not expect that situation to escalate similar to what happened at the Port-of-Spain General Hospital recently when a Maternity Ward patient threw an object at a nurse.