HARBOUR VIEW–A fight broke out in the offices of Social and Health Insurances SZV on Thursday after a staffer reportedly shoved a patient, who had been holding his child, in an effort to get the patient to move from an employee-only section of the office, resulting in the child falling from his father’s hands.
The incident resulted in a brawl involving at least two staffers, a security officer on duty and the patient. Many other patients who witnessed the incident were said to have been surprised at the turn of events and gasped in horror when the child fell from the father’s hands.
An eyewitness told The Daily Herald that around mid-morning Thursday, the patient, who was there clutching his child, had been complaining that SZV was giving him a run-around and that he had been waiting for a very long time to receive a response from SZV regarding treatment for his child.
The visibly frustrated man at one point jumped over the counter at SZV and sat in the chair of an employee and said he was not moving until he received an answer from SZV on the matter of treatment for his child.
Employees tried to convince him to move, but he refused to do so. According to the eyewitness, things got out of control after a male employee who was telling the patient to move shoved the man in an effort to get him off the chair, resulting in the man’s child falling from his hands. The man retaliated and a fight broke out.
“When the child fell out of the man’s hand’s everyone started to scream,” the eyewitness said.
Patients were then asked to leave the office and an employee tried to calm down the visibly shaken and upset father. The police then arrived on the scene.
Police spokesperson Chief Inspector Ricardo Henson said in a press release that police were called to SZV to intervene “in a problem” between a client and staff. On the scene, police spoke to the suspect O.A., who said that for some time now he has been given the “run-around” by management and staff of SZV regarding medical attention and treatment for his physically impaired child.
“This morning [Thursday – Ed.] at the SZV office the situation got out of hand, according to the suspect, as again he was given the run-around. The situation got heated and broke out into a fight involving the security guard and at least two other employees. The suspect had his child with him during the incident,” Henson said in the release.
Employees and the security officer involved in the incident went to the Detective Department and filed official complaints against the suspect for destruction and ill-treatment. Witnesses to the incident also gave statements to investigating officers.
Although officers spoke to the man on the scene, Henson said the suspect has not turned himself in and has not been arrested “as yet.” The case is under investigation.
In a press release about the incident, SZV said it was forced to close its doors early after the incident occurred. Referring to the matter as “an unforeseen incident,” SZV said for privacy and legal reasons, it is not customary to disclose the details of incidents to the media or public, but “we see it important at this time to inform that these actions are never tolerated. All incidents where security has been breached are followed by an official police report and, when required, pursued further by legal action.
“It is our duty to serve the community, adhering to the laws of the social and health insurances of which we manage. We aim to do so by offering the best possible service to each customer at all times. Violence of any form towards or staff or endangering our staff and visitors is never condoned,” the insurance service provider said in its statement.
SZV said it will be pursuing legal action in relation to the events and “for this reason and to maintain the privacy of our staff we will not issue any more details as to not interfere with the ongoing proceedings.”
SZV will re-open to the public today Friday, November 24, from 7:30am to 3:00pm.
Source: The Daily Herald https://www.thedailyherald.sx/islands/71222-fight-breaks-out-at-szv-after-staffer-hits-patient-child-falls
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