An assault on a paramedic Saturday night at the hospital in Oshawa has prompted a call for a review of safety measures for first responders in Durham Region.

The attack left a paramedic with head and facial injuries that resulted in him missing time at work, said Kristie Osmond-Jones, president of CUPE Local 1764. She is now calling for dialogue among stakeholders, including Durham police and management at Lakeridge Health, to review safety standards for first responders.

The paramedic, who wasn’t identified, was in an auxiliary room at Lakeridge Health Oshawa doing paperwork when he was accosted by a man who was in custody of Durham police, Osmond-Jones said.

“(The paramedic) was assaulted by an individual who was not his patient,” she said. “This raises concerns from a health and safety perspective. The main problem I have with this is that this ought to have been a controlled environment.”

Durham police Const. George Tudos confirmed on Monday that the man alleged to have attacked the paramedic had been taken to the hospital by police. He was arrested at a residence on Wilson Road around 9:45 p.m. Saturday under the Mental Health Act, Tudos said.

The man, who was believed to have ingested drugs, was verbally aggressive toward police and paramedics at the home before being taken to hospital for an assessment, according to police.

The 23-year-old man, who wasn’t identified, was charged with uttering death threats and assault causing bodily harm as a result of the assault on the paramedic, Tudos said.

On Sunday a Twitter message from CUPE Local 1764 highlighted the paramedic’s injuries and called upon Lakeridge Health to address the incident. The union represents Durham Region’s inside workers and members of the Region of Durham Paramedic Services.

“How do you plan on addressing this serious issue? Our members deserve answers,” the Twitter message read.

Lakeridge Health responded on social media: “Hi there, we want to know more. Would you please send us a note directly to communications@lh.ca? Looking forward to hearing from you.”

Lakeridge Health did not respond to a request for comment Monday.

Osmond-Jones said she’s hoping a review of the incident will result in action to enhance health and safety protection for first responders, including paramedics.

“First responders, paramedics in particular, face a lot of poor treatment from the public. They are often in very vulnerable positions,” she said. “There should have been measures in place to ensure the safety of everyone. We would like to work with the employer and Lakeridge Health to ensure this doesn’t happen again.”

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Jeff Mitchell is a reporter for DurhamRegion.com. Reach him via email: jmitchell@durhamregion.com

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