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United Christian Hospital nurses assaulted by aggressive Covid patient
An aggressive Covid patient hospitalized in an isolation unit at United Christian Hospital in Kwun Tong was said to have broken free of his restraint vest and assaulted two nurses on Sunday, with one of the nurses needing stitches for her facial injuries.
Secretary for Health Lo Chung-mau strongly condemned the violent attack and stressed that the SAR government adopts zero tolerance towards any violent acts in medical institutions.
The aggressive male patient was identified by police as 55-year-old So who works in construction, with no record of mental illnesses.
It is understood that So contracted Covid on October 29 and was hospitalized on November 4 after experiencing shortness of breath.
He exhibited combative behavior after being admitted to the isolation ward and was required to wear a restraint vest that was attached to the hospital bed to prevent him from harming himself and the nurses attending to him.
The violence on Sunday saw So broke free from the vest at around 1am and stormed out of his isolated unit, before he chased after a nurse and struck her with a drip stand. So was also said to have slammed the nurse’s head into a door. A second nurse was also assaulted by So when she came to check on the commotion.
So was eventually brought under control by medics and security guards who later arrived on the scene to help and was handed over to the police officers.
According to a hospital spokesman, one nurse suffered from a facial injury that required sutures, while the other nurse suffered a dental injury and needed further treatment.
The hospital also strengthened security outside the cubicle as to avoid a similar occurrence, the spokesman said, adding that the hospital is highly concerned about the incident, expressed sympathy for the injured staff and will provide timely treatment to them. The hospital will also provide psychological support to those involved in the incident.
The city’s health chief Lo sent his regards to the nurses injured in the incident and wished them a speedy recovery. He also instructed the Hospital Authority to review the security measures in all its hospitals to ensure the safety of its staff and patients.
Meanwhile, the police force said So was arrested for assault, with the case now handled by Sau Mau Ping district’s Criminal Investigation Team.
The aggressive male patient was identified by police as 55-year-old So who works in construction, with no record of mental illnesses.
It is understood that So contracted Covid on October 29 and was hospitalized on November 4 after experiencing shortness of breath.
He exhibited combative behavior after being admitted to the isolation ward and was required to wear a restraint vest that was attached to the hospital bed to prevent him from harming himself and the nurses attending to him.
The violence on Sunday saw So broke free from the vest at around 1am and stormed out of his isolated unit, before he chased after a nurse and struck her with a drip stand. So was also said to have slammed the nurse’s head into a door. A second nurse was also assaulted by So when she came to check on the commotion.
So was eventually brought under control by medics and security guards who later arrived on the scene to help and was handed over to the police officers.
According to a hospital spokesman, one nurse suffered from a facial injury that required sutures, while the other nurse suffered a dental injury and needed further treatment.
The hospital also strengthened security outside the cubicle as to avoid a similar occurrence, the spokesman said, adding that the hospital is highly concerned about the incident, expressed sympathy for the injured staff and will provide timely treatment to them. The hospital will also provide psychological support to those involved in the incident.
The city’s health chief Lo sent his regards to the nurses injured in the incident and wished them a speedy recovery. He also instructed the Hospital Authority to review the security measures in all its hospitals to ensure the safety of its staff and patients.
Meanwhile, the police force said So was arrested for assault, with the case now handled by Sau Mau Ping district’s Criminal Investigation Team.
