A 30-year-old man has been charged in a vicious beating that left an on-duty doctor unconscious at Penticton Regional Hospital last week.
The doctor was in a closed-door session with a patient at the hospital’s psychiatric unit Friday afternoon when he was “savagely attacked and left for dead,” according to the B.C. Nurses’ Union.
The BCNU said the patient calmly walked out of the room and announced that the doctor might be deceased.
The injuries were so serious the victim had to be transported to Kelowna General Hospital for treatment, but officials said he’s expected to survive.
On Monday, the RCMP confirmed Gregory Stanley Nield has been charged with aggravated assault in the beating.
The BCNU said the chilling incident highlights a need for better security in the province’s psychiatric and forensic facilities.
“Every day, nurses and other health care professionals put themselves on the line and risk being attacked on the job because of inadequate protection against violent patients,” union president Gayle Duteil said.
“Does someone have to die before the health authority starts providing basic safety measures?”
Nurses are calling on the Interior Health Authority to provide personal alarms, security cameras, security personnel dedicated to overseeing psychiatric units, and other measures.
Dr. Robert Halpenny, president of the IHA, said health officials are responding to the incident with a comprehensive investigation.
“We will be doing a complete review along with the RCMP and WorkSafe BC and once we have that full review we can look into how we can make sure this doesn’t happen again,” Halpenny said.
Health officials said there were warning signs that the doctor could be in danger before the session, nd they are already working on bringing in personal alarm devices.
Nield is scheduled to appear in a Penticton court on Tuesday morning.
With files from CTV Vancouver’s Kent Molgat
