The Tribune

NATIONAL Security Minister Wayne Munroe has responded to calls for more law enforcement presence at public health facilities after a patient attacked another patient at the Princess Margaret Hospital on the weekend.

Officers of the Royal Bahamas Defence Force (RBDF) and PMH security officers responded to the incident.

Yesterday, Mr Munroe said the Public Hospitals Authority has the responsibility for ensuring security at its facilities.

“The Princess Margaret Hospital static guard is for when persons come in, who are the victim of gunshots and that type of thing,” he told reporters.

“Where you could suspect that there may be people following on to have an armed response to that.”

A PHA release said a male patient being treated for injuries was attacked by a second male patient, who was accompanied by an uninjured male in the trauma area.

“The attacker was restrained by Emergency Department staff, RBDF officers deployed to the Emergency Department and hospital security officers, and two knives were confiscated. No other patients or hospital staff were physically injured as a result of the incident. Police subsequently arrested the attacker,” the release said.

When asked about increased security at public hospitals and clinics, Mr Munroe said the incident showed that even the presence of a static guard does not mean people will not act violently.

“That should tell you that even if you have a static guard that’s not a guarantee that people won’t act unlawfully. In terms of manpower to put static guards at every clinic that is something that is not anticipated at the moment,” he said.