Hon Marcella Liburd
Last evening, Monday September 22, armed men entered the Emergency Room of the Joseph N France General Hospital and opened fire on a client, a young man, while he was waiting to be treated. He sustained multiple gunshot wounds and underwent emergency surgery by our hard working surgical team but later succumbed to his injuries. The Ministry of Health extends condolences to his family.
We in the Ministry of Health and indeed the entire nation are shocked and dismayed at this wanton act of violence. The staff and patients are traumatized by this unfortunate incident.
The Ministry wishes to assure the JNF Hospital staff, all health workers and the general public that we will work closely with the security forces to ensure that this heinous act does not happen again.
With immediate effect, we have increased the presence of the security forces at the Hospital on a 24-hour basis, security cameras will be installed, and the visiting policy would be strictly adhered to. Other security measures would be put in place in the short and medium term.
This dastardly act will not discourage us from continuing to provide quality health care to residents and visitors alike.
We take this opportunity to reassure the general public that the measures put in place would create a safer environment for all healthcare providers and those who access care at or visit he Joseph N France General Hospital.
The Ministry wishes to thank the entire Hospital Staff for continuing to function at a high level under the circumstances. We also wish to thank the security forces for their continued support and the general public for their understanding and cooperation.