Doctor assaulted in Winnipeg emergency department: Shared Health

For the second time in two months, a doctor has been assaulted at Winnipeg’s Health Sciences Centre.

A doctor was recently assaulted inside the emergency department of Winnipeg’s largest hospital.

Shared Health confirmed the incident took place in the adult emergency department at the Health Sciences Centre (HSC) on Dec. 12, adding one person was arrested by police and the hospital’s institutional safety officers.

“Any form of assault is unacceptable in a place of work and has a significant impact on all staff,” Shared Health said in a statement.

Shared Health said it is working to provide support to the victim, confirming the victim was a physician.

CTV News has reached out to Winnipeg police for more information.

The assault is the latest incident at HSC involving staff safety. Doctors Manitoba said in an August report that 44 per cent of physical safety incidents among physicians in the past year took place at HSC.

In July, multiple sexual assaults were reported in and around the hospital, with a 28-year-old man being arrested in connection with the incidents. Police said at the time three of the victims were hospital employees.

In October, a nurse and unit assistant were assaulted in the emergency department by a patient.

The Manitoba Nurses’ Union grey listed the HSC in August following a vote, advising its members not to take shifts at the hospital due to safety concerns.

Shared Health said it takes safety seriously and is committed to improving security across the hospital.

“Incidents like this serve as a reminder of the challenges health-care workers face every day,” the organization said in a statement. “They also reinforce the importance of our ongoing work to strengthen safety measures and ensure a secure environment for everyone at HSC.”

-With files from CTV’s Daniel Halmarson and Milan Lukes