The Age Victoria

Stabbed surgeon calls for safety boost in Australian hospitals

Secure entrances for hospital staff, restricted access to wards and regular security patrols of public areas urged for facilities


The neurosurgeon who narrowly survived a stabbing attack in the foyer of Western Hospital in Footscray, Victoria, Australia, is calling for new measures to protect staff and patients, according to an article on The Age website.

Michael Wong was stabbed 14 times in his arms, chest, abdomen and forehead as he arrived for work before being dragged to safety by passers-by.

Wong said secure entrances for hospital staff, restricted access to wards and regular security patrols of public areas were some of the measures needed to prevent repeat attacks.

"It's difficult to see how any level of security changes would make a difference, except to have everyone searched like an airport coming through the front door, which is very difficult in a hospital environment," Western Health chief executive Alex Cockram said.

Data released to Fairfax Media under freedom of information laws revealed that violent patients armed with knives, chairs and syringes threatened or attacked staff in more than 100 "code black" incidents at 11 Melbourne hospitals in 2012-13, according to the article.

Read the article.

 



October 10, 2014


Topic Area: Safety


Recent Posts

Alleged Ransomware Administrator Extradited from South Korea

The Phobos ransomware has been used globally to target over 1,000 organizations, including healthcare.


Design Plans Unveiled for New Intermountain St. Vincent Regional Hospital

The new hospital will be a 14-floor, 737,000 square-foot facility in Billings, Montana.


Ground Broken on New Pediatric Health Campus in Dallas

The new campus will replace the existing Children’s Medical Center Dallas.


Pre-Construction Strategies for Successful Facilities Projects

Savvy decisions can help facilities meet long-term goals by creating consistency and eliminating waste.


Geisinger Finds Success with Violence Prevention Efforts

Their safety measures included training staff in de-escalation, active-shooter response drills and equipping 6,000 employees with duress notification badges.


 
 


FREE Newsletter Signup Form

News & Updates | Webcast Alerts
Building Technologies | & More!

 
 
 


All fields are required. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

 
 
 
 

Healthcare Facilities Today membership includes free email newsletters from our facility-industry brands.

Facebook   Twitter   LinkedIn   Posts

Copyright © 2023 TradePress. All rights reserved.