Hospital closes unit after patient attacked

A HOSPITAL in Kokopo, East New Britain, has closed its outpatient unit after a patient was attacked by a group of men believed to be from a nearby settlement.
St Mary’s Vunapope Hospital director of medical services Dr Felix Diaku said the staff were concerned about their own safety after the attack.
Diaku said the men believed to be from the Faol Pes settlement attacked one of the male patients last Saturday.
They chased the man into the accident emergency room and on the way harassed other patients and staff.
The patient was believed to be from Togoro village in the Bitapaka local level government.
“Police have arrested those involved and they are now at the Kokopo police station cell,” Diaku said.
It is believed that the men from the settlement were looking for people living at Ramale, Takubar, Kabaleo and Livuan settlements in the Kokopo-Vunamami urban local level government area who last month allegedly burnt down homes at Faol Pes.
Diaku is calling on the people to settle their differences outside the hospital.
The hospital management decided to close the outpatients unit because of the incident and to allow maintenance and renovation work to be carried out. It will be closed for at least two months.
The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Rabaul runs several health, education and pastoral institutions which have already existed for many years serving communities, some in the most remote parts where there was no government help.