A Pennsylvania hospital patient was arrested on Tuesday after stabbing a female doctor “multiple times” in both the head and face while at a university medical facility, police said.
The suspect, who has not been identified by name, carried out the attack at a University of Pennsylvania hospital during treatment for an unknown ailment, Philadelphia Police Department officials told Fox News. The alleged attacker is behind bars, and the doctor was treated and released for non-fatal injuries.
Law enforcement recovered a weapon at the scene following the incident.
“Pennsylvania Hospital is working closely with the Philadelphia Police to respond to an incident which happened Tuesday afternoon involving a patient and a physician, who sustained injuries,” a Penn Medicine spokesperson told Fox. “There was no danger at any time to other patients or staff in the hospital. All hospital operations continue as usual, and we are cooperating with law enforcement in their investigation of this incident.”
SEXUAL ASSAULT IN HOSPITAL BRINGS 10-YEAR SENTENCE
Both the Philadelphia Police Department and Penn Medicine did not immediately return requests for comment from the Washington Examiner.
Hospital assaults against staff, including doctors and nurses, have been on the rise, according to a 2019 study by the American Journal of Managed Care. Nearly 75% of the 25,000 annual estimated workplace assaults occur in medical settings, including “incidents where staff are abused, threatened, or assaulted in circumstances related to their work, including commuting to and from work, involving an explicit or implicit challenge to their safety, well-being, or health.”
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“Workplace violence against nurses has been going on for decades,” said Michelle Mahon, RN, a representative for National Nurses United. “A physician heard a nurse being verbally abused by a patient. She walked up to the nurse, put her hand on her shoulder, and asked her if she was OK. The nurse shrugged it off and said that it happens all the time.”
