Tai Po Hospital turned blind eye to assaults on patients, nurse alleges

A Tai Po Hospital nurse has accused her employers of turning a blind eye to three cases of assault - two sexual and one physical - since 2011.

The nurse, a psychiatric ward manager who wanted to be known only as Chung, yesterday demanded that her hospital investigate the alleged incidents to prevent them from happening again.

She said she learned about the first incident, which took place in May 2011, after she went through patients' medical records.

"A mentally handicapped patient was wearing a straitjacket when he was sexually assaulted by a patient," Chung said. "The abuser sat on top of the victim after he took off his and the victim's pants."

The nurse said the two men were separated into different rooms only after the abuse happened again the following day.

And it was only after repeated complaints to management that she finally received a verbal reply, in which the hospital admitted the abuser had tried to rape the victim, Chung said.

The second incident occurred in June 2011, she said, when a male patient attacked another by biting his jaw while the victim was in a straitjacket. She found out about the alleged assault through an internal memo.

The latest incident took place last month, Chung said. Patients sought help from nurses after they saw a male patient allegedly trying to sexually assault another patient.

Responding only to the first case, Tai Po Hospital said staff had already shouted at the patient to stop him from attacking the victim.

The hospital said no patient was hurt in the incident.