MEDICAL workers at the Kingston Public Hospital (KPH) yesterday staged a protest after a mentally ill patient attacked a nurse at the downtown Kingston institution.

BY KIMMO MATTHEWS Observer staff reporter matthewsk@jamaicaobserver.com  Wednesday, November 26, 2014    

MEDICAL workers at the Kingston Public Hospital (KPH) yesterday staged a protest after a mentally ill patient attacked a nurse at the downtown Kingston institution.

Protest at KPH following attack on nurse

According to the angry protesters, the nurse was doing checks on Ward 2A when she was chased by a man, who was a psychiatric patient.

Jennifer McLeod, who claimed she witnessed the attack, said the nurse was also hit by the man.

"If it weren't for me and another man the nurse could have been killed by the man this morning," she alleged.

"When I see what was happening I could not believe. The man ran down the nurse, held her by the neck and struck her to the side of her head," the woman told the Observer as she stood close to where angry protesters had gathered.

The nurses said yesterday's incident was the latest in a series of attacks on medical professionals as they carry out their duties at KPH, the island's largest hospital.

"This is what we have to face on a daily basis from patients right across the board and we are tired of what is happening and want the matter to be addressed," said one protester.

"When it is not attacks, we are faced with threats, if someone should carry out some checks we nurses and other medical staff get more than 100 threats per month and we are concerned for our safety," said another nurse. more