London:
An Indian-origin nurse who was stabbed with scissors by a patient at a hospital in Britain is in critical condition. Achamma Cherian, 57, was subjected to the unwarranted wrath of a patient on Saturday while on duty in the acute medical unit at the Royal Oldham Hospital in Manchester.
The nurse, a mother-of-two, remains in hospital being treated for her injuries, which police described as serious and 'believed to be life-changing'.
“Our thoughts are with the nurse as she is treated in hospital for her injuries, and our priority remains supporting her, her family and her colleagues at this difficult time,” Chief Inspector Matt Walker said, according to a report from the BBC.
The police arrested the suspect, Rumon Haque (37), at the scene on suspicion of attempted murder. It is believed he attacked Ms Cherian while he was being examined at around 11.30pm, during what is usually one of the hospital's busiest shifts.
Haque, a resident of Royton in Oldham, appeared at Manchester District Court on Tuesday charged with the attempted murder of the nurse and with possessing a bladed article in a public place. He was taken into custody after a brief hearing and was not asked to enter a plea.
Haque will appear at Manchester Crown Court on February 18.
According to a report by The Guardian, hospital staff were “incredibly shocked and saddened”.
“Our focus is on supporting the colleague involved and their family…Our thoughts are also with colleagues and patients who were there at the time of the incident and for whom this was painful and distressing,” said Heather Caudle, chief nursing officer. officer at Northern Care Alliance NHS Foundation Trust, which oversees Royal Oldham hospital.
She said all services at the hospital remained open and staff would continue to support police in their investigations.
According to an NHS workforce survey last year, healthcare workers face high levels of physical violence, with 13.7 percent of workers experiencing at least one incident of physical violence in the past year, rising to 27.6 percent for ambulance staff.