Orderly at Montreal's Douglas Institute badly injured after attack
Union says more safety measures are needed
A 63-year-old orderly at the Douglas Mental Health University Institute is in hospital after he was allegedly attacked by a patient in the intensive care unit early Thursday.
Montreal police say an arrest was made and the investigation is ongoing.
No weapons were used in the attack, said Elizabeth Rich, the vice-president of workplace health and security at Quebec's largest nurses union (FIQ).
The victim was the only orderly on the floor that night, with three nurses working nearby. He had been making the rounds to check on the patients when he was attacked, Rich said.
The man was taken to the hospital unconscious. He is expected to survive, but the extent of his injuries is unknown.
The employee had recently celebrated his 45th anniversary working at the hospital, said Dr. Willine Rozefort, assistant director of professional and hospital services at the Douglas.
"Nobody should go to work fine and come back home injured," Rozefort said.
Rozefort said she does not believe adding more security would prevent similar attacks because of the "unpredictability and impulsivity" of some of the patients. She said these incidents are rare.
"The majority of our patients are not aggressive," Rozefort said, adding she fears people might stigmatize mental health patients after hearing about these kinds of events.
She said there is a metal detector at the entrance, as well as an intercom, but that the hospital is always working to improve their security measures.
Rozefort said the hospital will continue to investigate the incident, working in collaboration with the FIQ and Quebec's workplace health and safety board (CNESST).
Security needs to be tightened, unions says
For months, the nurse's union has been trying to convince the hospital to tighten its security measures. The FIQ represents nurses at the hospital, but not the orderlies.
Their calls for better security began in September, after a nurse was stabbed as he opened a door to someone trying to get into the hospital's Burgess unit.
The nurse sustained minor injuries, but hasn't returned to work since, Rich said.
"I would like the employer to put [more] personnel, enough to secure the patients, members, and all the employees," said Rich.
"More nurses, more orderlies, and definitely more security guards with metal detectors."
Health Minister Danielle McCann said the regional health authority "is taking this situation seriously and will do everything they can to really protect the staff."
She said she will wait for the outcome of the hospital's investigation before making recommendations.