by Charles Gladden
DANGRIGA, Stann Creek District, Thurs. July 18, 2024
The damaging of public facilities seems to be a trend at this time, as reports indicate that another public hospital – the Southern Regional Hospital in Dangriga Town – was recently damaged by a disgruntled relative of a patient at the hospital, resulting in the emergency room door becoming dislocated from its hinges.
The incident, on Sunday, July 14, was captured on a surveillance camera installed inside the hospital, and it shows a woman being denied entry through the hospital doors as it was locked. The woman kicked the door a number of times, forcefully, and she didn’t leave the area until two police officers arrived to calm her down.
A press release issued by the Ministry of Health concerning the issue mentioned that a woman was heard threatening to throw down the door if they weren’t allowed inside. It further highlights that it is the second time an incident such as this has occurred, and that can’t be tolerated. “The incident reflects what is now perceived as continuous aggressive and threatening behavior by the public towards medical staff, which cannot be countenanced,” the release said.
As mentioned above, this isn’t the first time that a public medical facility has been damaged by angry civilians. About a month ago, after a shootout had occurred in San Ignacio Town, a rowdy group of men entered the San Ignacio Community Hospital, terrorizing hospital staff and damaging doors and other property, because they wanted to instruct doctors who were attending David Galindo, a local street figure who had been shot earlier that day. At the time, the ministry had blamed the media for “sensationalizing” the entire ordeal.
When Amandala contacted Health Minister, Hon. Kevin Bernard on the recent issue, he declined our request for a comment.
However, relatives of the disgruntled intruder told a local media house that the sequence of events is wrong as the ministry portrayed it. They further mentioned that the door had gotten damaged by the numerous persons coming in and out, and continued to say that the hospital’s accusation was false.
Amandala also attempted to seek comment from Dr. Jorge Polanco, Director of Hospital Services, but like our attempt with the minister, our request went unanswered.