PRESS RELEASE - On Friday 6th February 2014 the Dennery Hospital came into sharp focus by Senior Government Officials, including the Permanent Secretary, as well as Officers from the Royal St. Lucia Police Force following an altercation in the waiting area of the Dennery Hospital arising out of a domestic dispute between two individuals.
Principal Nursing Officer at the Dennery Hospital, Kerthney Charlemagne-Surage recall the incident which unfolded in full view of some of her staff and clients of the hospital.
“The police brought in two persons who were involved in a domestic dispute, they were transported here for medical treatment one of them with a chop wound the other with a blunt injury to the face. However whist the most severe one was being triaged the dispute continued, the gentleman attached the woman and she sustained serious injuries to her head.”
Nurse Surage indicated however that the woman was in a stable condition after being assessed and treated by the nurses. Nurse Surage also advocated for armed security as the hospital is also charged with the responsibility to care for persons from the Bordelais Correctional Facility.
“When we look at our catchment area we have very high incidences of violence and injury as a result of cutlass, stabbings, choppings and we’ve been advocating for armed security on the compound. Most times we find disputes being completed or persons coming across to finish off their disputes and we’ve been asking for security. So that just goes to show the urgency of having armed security on the compound at all times.”
Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Health, Wellness, Human Services and Gender Relations, Cointha Thomas stated that the Ministry will continue to do all in its power to safeguard staff of the hospital and its clients from harm and injury. The Permanent Secretary noted the Ministry’s commitment to providing a safe working environment for staff to deliver efficient service to the community they serve.
“In this regard we are going to do all we can to ensure that there is as security detail available immediately to ensure that they can continue to receive their care in a safe environment. To the persons who were directly affected the families the friends we want to empathizes with you and to ensure that you can continue to live together in a peaceful environment and to ensure that you do not have to return to the facilities for a reasons that you came in this morning.”
Parliamentary Representative for the Dennery North Constituency, Hon. Shawn Edward who was on scene shortly after the incident made reference to government’s commitment to the safety of medical staff.
“Let me just say that the Government of St. Lucia takes the security of medical practitioners by extension all St. Lucians very seriously and I am hoping that after the investigation has been done we will find a way to help the situation. Obviously this is something that is regrettable it is not the kind of situation you want to cause the spot light to be on the Dennery Basin and for that I am a bit saddened but I am hoping that all is not lost and we will be able to pickup the pieces collectively as a community and move forward.”
The individuals involved in the incident were both from the Dennery North Constituency.
