Portland HCWs denounce violence
Published:Tuesday | May 20, 2025 | 12:11 AMGareth Davis/Gleaner Writer
PORTLAND:
On Monday, nurses and other healthcare workers (HCWs) from the Port Antonio Hospital took to the streets in protest after a brutal and vicious attack on one of their own, an incident which was captured in a now-viral video.
Dressed in white, blue, and pink uniforms and chanting “We are not punching bags”, the protesters began their march from the hospital at Naylor’s Hill, making their way downhill while holding placards with messages such as ‘Stop Violence Against Nurses’ and ‘Nurses Save Lives, Let’s Protect Them’.
Kerryann Bryan Anderson, director of nursing services at the Port Antonio Hospital, spoke passionately about the event.
“Today, we stand in solidarity for a nurse who was violently abused by a man in St Andrew, as seen in the video. We’re here today, not just nurses, but with all healthcare workers – doctors, female attendants, everyone. We are showing that we will no longer tolerate this kind of behaviour. Enough is enough. To see a man from the business community, whose livelihood depends on people, act in such a way is disheartening,” she said.
Anderson continued, “It really struck us over the weekend. Many of us couldn’t sleep after seeing that video. I can’t even imagine what it’s like to have someone step on your head on the concrete. Despite the heat today, we’re here to make our voices heard. United we stand, divided we fall.”
Sixty-five-year-old Robert Bell of a St Andrew address was slapped with multiple charges on Saturday in relation to the incident.
According to police reports, the incident stemmed from road rage and occurred on the evening of Tuesday, May 13 around 7:15 p.m., when the nurse was en route to work.