By ELIAS NANAU
STAFF and management of Vanimo General Hospital have protested against the assault of a young doctor in the early hours of last Friday morning.
A message posted on the gates to the outpatients department stated that the outpatient was closed since last Friday and staff would only attend to those in critical conditions and for delivery.
The message was authorised and signed by the hospital’s chief executive officer Paul Dopsie.
Hospital staff from the management to the clinical section, marched to the Vanimo police station last Friday, demanding the immediate apprehension and charging of suspects involved in the alleged assault of the doctor.
They retreated to the hospital after acting provincial police commander Augustine Laho assured them that he would institute an investigation into the matter.
The suspects, who included a policeman, an executive officer of an MP and two women, were then brought to the police station in a police bus.
Mr Dopsie condemned the assault and said this was not the first time hospital staff had become victims from attacks from the public.
He added that the policeman was supposed to be protecting people and not attacking them.
It was alleged the policeman was under the influence of liquor and with his accomplices, used a police riffle to threaten and assault the doctor.
Reasons surrounding the incident are not known at this stage pending police investigation.
Former governor Carlos Yuni condemned the attack on the doctor, who was admitted to the hospital.
The doctor was relocated to Vanimo from Alotau recently and was accommodated at a lodge because of housing problems.
He was assaulted at the lodge.