North West Regional Health Authority (NWRHA) CEO Anthony Blake said a hospital is not meant to have rigorous security measures as a prison facility would, and there is only so much that can be done to maintain security.
He was speaking on Monday after deadly shooting incidents on Sunday, first in Gonzales, Belmont and then outside the compound of the hospital's A&E, where gunmen opened fire on the Gonzales shooting victims who were brought to hospital for treatment.
Blake who was accompanied by Minister of Health Terrence Deyalsingh and other members of the NWRHA, said an internal meeting was held to review security systems and discuss the well-being of staff.
“When the incident happened, I was here with my security team and police, looking at our internal security and refining it to be able to react to situations like this,” Blake said.
He referred to the shooting as a “black swan event” and said it is not something usually seen in healthcare. Blake refrained from discussing specifics of security measures he said the authority would be “utilising.” He said the authority is working with the police and its internal security.
Blake said due to previous security incidents, the PoSGH has created a specific ward to deal with gunshot and serious violence victims but did not say which ward owing to patients' safety. “It’s almost like a prison ward with bars to prevent people from going into those wards.” He said this ward was at capacity.
"It was instituted a couple of years ago after a patient was shot in the hospital. As a result, we set it up to deal with high-risk patients so they could be isolated.”
Blake said there is armed security on the compound and most of the vehicles entering and leaving the compound are searched.
Deyalsingh, who arrived at the hospital around 9 am, said he was visiting the hospital to get a personal account of what transpired on Sunday.
“Let me give you some facts as we know them.”
He said that around 6.30 pm on June 2, there was a community street football game in Gonzales, and after the event, a vehicle pulled up and its occupants began shooting indiscriminately. Deyalsingh said six people were shot. Two of those were later pronounced dead on arrival at the hospital.
“Unfortunately, again, one person was gunned down on the compound just behind the accident and emergency. So that brings the death count in this particular incident to three.” Deyalsingh said three other people were injured and are warded in stable condition.
“Two were injured in Gonzales and one was injured on the compound. So that accounts for the six people being shot. Three are unfortunately dead and three injured.”
He said the authority is assisting the police with their investigations.
“Our camera system was able to pick up the vehicle number and get good footage of the assailants. I will say no more on that, but it has been turned over to the police.”
However, initial police reports said four men were killed in the incident. The victims were identified as Peter Williams, Kevin King, Jo
