By LEANDRA ROLLE

Tribune Chief Reporter

lrolle@tribunemedia.net

HEALTH and Wellness Minister Dr Michael Darville said an investigation had been launched into reports of a patient spitting in a healthcare worker’s face in Eleuthera.

The alleged assailant discussed the confrontation in a widely circulated voice note.

He claimed he spat in the worker’s face after she displayed an attitude while he was at the clinic for medication.

“I said, miss, you don’t know me, and she came in my face, and she wanted to fight me,” the man said. “I said girl if you don’t get out of my face, I’ll slap the **** out of you with my phone.”

He claimed the woman raised her hand to hit him, but ultimately didn’t.

He threatened he would have “bodyslam” her and choked her to death if she did.

Dr Darville told reporters he was aware of the incident, had listened to voice notes from the person involved and heard complaints from the nurse.

He said the investigation is ongoing and highlighted the importance of security, noting that funding is now available to deploy security officers at clinics in the Family Islands.

“Most of our clinics are controlled by women, and so we intend to put that in place but the vetting process, the security officers are much more involved, and people could imagine, particularly those working in healthcare facilities,” he said. “So we are aware, and we’re working towards resolving it.”

Dr Darville also provided an update on the renovations at the Accident and Emergency (A&E) department at Princess Margaret Hospital, noting that contractors are making significant progress to meet the completion deadline early next month.

He apologised to the Bahamian people for the delays in the renovation project, saying some circumstances were beyond their control.

He assured the public that his ministry is committed to delivering a facility that the Bahamian people can be proud of upon completion.

“If you have an opportunity to go to the site, you will see that we are in the final stages of the opening of the Accident and Emergency and alleviate a lot of the clutter that currently exists with operating in tight spaces,” he added.