An incident Sunday where a security worker at Victoria General Hospital was punched in the face by a patient and required medical attention highlights the risks hospital staff face every day, says West Shore RCMP.
Police were called to the hospital Tuesday after a protection services officer — a member of the hospital’s security staff — said she was assaulted on Sunday by a patient.
The security officer had been helping hospital staff deal with an aggressive patient when she was punched, police said.
West Shore RCMP spokesman Const. Alex Bérubé said police will continue to support health-care workers in their “challenging and exhausting duties.”
Meena Brisard, secretary-business manager Hospital Employees Union, said violence should never be part of any job. She called on the province to address workplace violence and invest more resources in social supports and services “desperately needed” in communities.
“Unfortunately, health-care workers experience workplace violence more than any other sector in B.C.,” Brisard said.
Recent years have seen an increase in aggressive and violent acts in hospitals, said Brisard, adding the province needs to explore some of the root causes of increased violence, including the opioid crisis, poverty, homelessness and inadequate mental-health supports.
