Guarded QEH . . . attack on hospital worker prompts tough measures

Visitors to some wards at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital (QEH) will have to undergo screening before gaining admission to look up relatives and friends there. This heightened security measure follows an incident over the last weekend when a man attacked a hospital employee, injuring him.

Executive Chairman of QEH Juliette Bynoe-Sutherland confirmed the incident and told Barbados TODAY that it was allegedly committed by a substance abuser who came on to the compound. That person is expected to be charged in connection with the incident.

The hospital chief, along with Acting Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Louise Bobb, today met with Deputy Commissioner of Police Oral Williams to engage in discussion about the need to implement a stricter security system.

“We are beginning this process through this conversation with you to really sensitise the public – and I did it this morning with the staff – that we have to bring a strong security presence. What we will be doing is one, expanding our CCTV coverage across the hospital and linking it into the CCTV coverage of the Royal Barbados Police Force so we are able to get a rapid response.

“The second thing we are going to be doing is expanding the number of security personnel, and we are going to be building three security posts around the hospital. We are going to be securing the fencing.

“The hospital is a pretty big compound, you may not be aware, but there are lots of places where people are finding their way in through little holes and crevices. So we have discovered where they all are and over the next week or two we will be completely securing and reducing the number of places where people can get on to the premises,” Bynoe-Sutherland said.

She explained that while it was no secret that the increase in violence in communities across the island was having an impact on the QEH, the hospital had also been alerted about pending scenarios where persons wanted to enter the hospital to get to patients who were being treated for gunshot wounds.

She added that in light of this development, the QEH would also be strengthening its internal security efforts, by placing extra security particularly at wards where there are patients who were connected to gun violence.

“In order to get into those particular wards we will be scanning everyone so that people cannot get on to the wards with guns and other weaponry that could be injurious, not only to the person that they are trying to reach, but to the staff,” she said.

“We need to have a situation where the QEH is a zone of peace. The only way we can do that is to have zero tolerance against violence and that will mean changes and adjustments to how we move around the hospital and how we secure the facility. The changes are starting immediately.

“We are immediately working on the fencing. We are immediately implementing the security on the ward B6 and B7 where we are immediately expanding the personnel. There are things that are happening immediately. Things like building the guard hut and those kinds of initiatives will take a little longer,” Bynoe-Sutherland added.

The executive chairman revealed that the employee was recovering from the attack. She said the alleged attacker who was apprehended by hospital security has been arrested and would be charged for the unlawful act.

“We do have this situation around Bridgetown that people are encroaching and trespassing. And one of the great things that we had in our discussion with the Deputy Commissioner Williams is we got a lot of clarity on the powers of security and what authority we have on the hospital compound to remove and detain. So we have a very strong cooperation with the police and they will be working with us as we roll out our plans,” she said.

Bynoe-Sutherland related the coming adjustments in security following the QEH Annual Christmas Church Service at the hospital chapel where Chaplain Canon Noel Burke, while delivering the sermon, echoed Bynoe-Sutherland’s sentiments that the QEH must be a place of peace and that violence would not be tolerated.
anestahenry@barbadostoday.bb