Patients attack nurses at SFGH

STAFF at the Psychiatric Ward (Ward One) at the San Fernando General Hospital want protection from patients, many of whom attack them physically and verbally, they said.

Nurses said a violent patient on Friday cuffed a male colleague and broke his glasses during a scuffle. The same patient slammed a female nurse on the floor when she intervened. The patient was this morning transferred to the St Ann’s Psychiatric Hospital for further evaluation.

Nurses said the incident occurred at about 2.45 pm when the patient, who was strapped to the bed, untied himself and started to speak loudly. Two staff went to his bed to stop him from leaving.

“The patient started to cuff the male nurse in the mouth. The nurse’s glasses got broken in the incident. A female nurse ran to assist, but what can she do? He pelted the female nurse and she landed on her buttocks,” a nurse said.

Another nurse said this morning a female patient damaged the toilet facilities at the ward.

“We had to get about 15 security officers just to put her in a room and she is still warded here. We have had very violent patients. Over the past few years, staff have been beaten and verbally abused by patients who do anything you can possibly think of. It has to stop because our lives are at risk,” the nurse said.

They complain of deplorable working conditions in addition to being short-staff. They called for the Health Ministry to intervene.