Patient arrested after doctor assaulted at Health Sciences Centre's ER: police

A patient has been arrested in connection with an assault on a doctor at the Health Sciences Centre on Friday, Winnipeg police confirmed to CBC on Tuesday.

The assault took place in HSC's adult emergency department, a Shared Health spokesperson told CBC News. Neither police nor Shared Health identified the suspect, nor their age and gender.

Shared Health's spokesperson said any type of assault has a significant impact on all staff, describing the assault on the doctor as a "traumatic event," adding the health authority remains committed to improving security across the hospital campus.

The assault comes at a time of increased scrutiny regarding safety at the hospital, Manitoba's largest.

In August, the Manitoba Nurses Union said 94 per cent of HSC nurses voted in favour of "grey listing" the hospital to discourage front-line workers from taking jobs there because of safety concerns.

The vote followed a string of crimes in the area around the central Winnipeg hospital, including sexual assaults of five people — two of them nurses — in early July.

In September, the province announced that two police officers would be stationed at the HSC around the clock.

The officers, who began their duties on Nov. 1, were called by hospital security to respond to a patient assaulting an on-call doctor the following day. A health-care aide and a nurse were assaulted by a patient at the same hospital on Oct. 19.

AI-powered weapon detectors were also introduced at the hospital earlier this year.