Nurses are voting with their feet. Sadly, patients don't have that option. While some people have sympathy for those who are in need for mental health, hunger, injuries and addictions, it does not mean tolerance for rape and murder. It doesn't mean rampant assault, arson and theft are something we just have to accept because these are crimes from people trying to survive.
The nurses "grey-listing" of the hospital is not some racist response from some colonialists on stolen land who target poor people for being poor. These are public servants providing service to everyone who are risking their personal safety. As for all the other people coming to the area for service, they shouldn't have to fear for their personal safety and property at every step of the way inside and out of the the building.
There IS security at HSC and there seems to be police in the building regularly. However, Five assaults in several minutes is just over the top. And there is violence and thefts non-stop. The parkades, the tunnels, the waiting areas, the streets nearby, the wards and the public areas are all potential attack spots. The provincial government has to stop looking dumbfounded at what to do.
To combat the violence, every entrance has to have screening for weapons and controlled access to the building. No more unmonitored entrances. There has to be better lighting on the outside, foot patrols, video cameras and panic alarms. The staff need swipe cards for tunnels and staff areas. There shouldn't be anyone without ID lanyards with their pictures on it. Even this may not be enough. It could come down to having to register to enter the hospital. Either ID or sign in of some sort. There will be complaints about this but is the Manitoba Legislature any different? You cannot drive onto the grounds without being vetted by security. You can't enter the building without another layer of security and cameras and panic buttons are in every office.
The hospital cannot continue to function like this. Or any hospital for that matter. The law for assaults on medical, emergency and allied health workers has to make it clear that there are consequences. Releasing people who assault people on the front lines results in many not wanting to take those jobs. The legal response has to be firm or people vote with their feet. And they are. Moreover, the provincial government can't slough this off as a local hospital issue or a city issue.
There are some pundits blaming the government for lack of police or attention to security. They need to check their own lack of response when they had power or those they supported had power. This is an issue that has grown worse. And much like how the government eventually had to respond to liquor store robberies, the province has to protect the hospitals and quickly. It took some time until they protected the liquor stores. It was only when staff were brazenly assaulted and it was captured on video that the government moved with haste.
Given the amount of staff at HSC, it makes sense they have an alert call that goes out to all staff when an emergency happens. They are already keyed to alerts such as heart attacks, why not for intruder, sexual assault or shelter in place? The attack on the Centers for Disease Control in Atlanta this week should put the issue in sharp focus. A police officer died protecting the public.
While much can be done inside the buildings to ensure safety, it is probably better to think of the entire HSC as one campus. The federal virology laboratory just down the street takes security seriously. The entire facility is fenced in. No one from the street is wandering in. The Microbiology lab is a level 4 containment facility with no patients but even their parking lot if fenced in. The biggest security threat there has been espionage when two Chinese spies were escorted out by the RCMP.
Could HSC be fenced in? The answer is yes. Every street into the campus could have checks for both vehicles and pedestrians. A bigger conversation about what entrances to close and a safety audit has to be conducted. There is just far too many ways for people to enter the hospital area with ill intentions.
There are examples of road closures already at HSC. Bannatyne is not continuous through the campus as McDermot is. It begs the question about whether McDermot might be next to close and serve for hospital as well as University of Manitoba use. Even if the roads are not built over, controlled access to the campus can happen at every road and sidewalk. These are drastic measures but HSC is a massive complex with too many entrances and unique security concerns.
Making HSC a fort like the virology lab is not really possible given how many people in and out each day. It also likely that those outside any fencing would still face trouble from assault, robbery and other crime as they made their way in and out of the hospital or had business in the area. The police have to be part of the process of making things safer in the area. Safe walks, cameras and the like will only go far and won't even cut it with gang activity, organized car theft or intent to harm.
A lot of work has to be done. Hopefully, the government is still not on vacation. This issue is not on holiday. Haste is required.
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