NWRHA suspends employee after dispute with security guards

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5 minutes ago

The North West Regional Health Authority (NWRHA) has suspended an employee after a video of a brawl with a security guard at the Port of Spain General Hospital (PoSGH) went viral on social media last week.

NWRHA Executive Director Anthony Blake confirmed that the incident occurred on Friday afternoon and began after an employee failed to present valid identification to security staff at the entrance to one of the hospital car parks.

Friday’s incident came 19 days after gunmen stormed the hospital and gunned down victims of an earlier shooting in Gonzales who had been admitted to the emergency room for treatment on June 2.

Four people were killed in these shootings.

One of them was shot in the hospital.

Blake said, “Our initial investigation indicates that this was an employee attempting to enter the facility without identification or the required parking pass to enter.”

Since the June 2 shooting, the NWRHA has taken additional steps to ensure the safety of its staff and other hospital visitors, including installing additional cameras and a security gate at the emergency department entrance and increasing the presence of armed security at PoSGH.

“Given the security challenges we have faced at PoSGH, we are implementing stricter screening of people coming through the drive-in entrance.

“This entrance in the maternity ward is actually a staff entrance and to get into the staff parking lot you have to have a sticker on your car which we give to the staff or you have to show your ID card.”

The video shows a man in a white vest arguing with the security guard at the entrance.

The man then punches the security guard, who tries to back away. The man chases the security guard before both men fall to the ground in a scuffle.

Blake said the agency will now launch an investigation into the incident after receiving statements from the security company and hospital surveillance video footage.

“The RHA has a code of conduct that enables us to conduct our investigations quickly.

“Since there must be natural justice, a tribunal will be set up to determine the necessary punishment for the future.”

He added that one employee had since been suspended.

Blake assured: “Such behaviour will not be tolerated by the RHA (Regional Health Authority).”