Mater Dei Hospital management and the police are investigating an incident during which a nurse assaulted an ophthalmologist while he was performing surgery on a patient’s eye, the Times of Malta has learnt.
The incident was referred to the police for investigation while the hospital set up its own internal inquiry board to look into the assault.
Although the nurse in question has not been suspended or temporarily removed from his job, he has been ordered to attend an “obligatory anger management course”, the Health Ministry told this newspaper.
The incident took place last week in one of the hospital’s operating theatres and was witnessed by several doctors and nurses. Sources close to the hospital said the assault took place because the nurse was “unhappy” that the surgeon arrived late for his surgeries after having been caught up at the Emergency Department seeing to other serious cases.
The sources said the nurse stormed into the operating theatre and began shouting and swearing as the foreign ophthalmologist was carrying out surgery on a patient under local anaesthetic.
The nurse has been referred for an obligatory anger management course
The sudden outburst startled not only the patient, who was awake during the procedure, but also other nurses and doctors who were assisting the surgeon during the operation.
The sources said the surgeon remained calm and told the nurse that this was not the way to discuss things and that he would continue the discussion after the surgery.
But the nurse would not have it and grabbed the surgeon by the clothes and pushed him, warning him of consequences if he did it again.
He also threatened to “pay him back” and threatened more physical aggression outside the hospital grounds.
Sources said the surgeon filed a report with the management and proceeded to file a report at the Msida police station.
In reply to Times of Malta questions, the Health Ministry confirmed the incident and that an internal inquiry was under way.
“The nurse involved in the incident has been referred for an obligatory anger management course. Further disciplinary action may be taken pending the result of the investigation,” the ministry said.
It continued: “Mater Dei management would like to reassure the public that it will continue to take the necessary action to provide a safe and serene environment for its professionals to continue to provide a high level of care to our patients.”