A violent  altercation between an employee  and  a supervisor hired by a contracted cleaning company of  the Princess Margaret Hospital has caused great concern among patients and staff of the institution.

In a  press statement The Public Hospitals Authority (PHA) said it acknowledges with regret an incident which occurred on Saturday past between employees of a cleaning service contracted to provide housekeeping services at the Princess Margaret Hospital (PMH).

“ The PHA has been advised that the contractor has taken action to resolve the matter and bring the responsible parties to account. The PHA wishes to confirm that there was no PMH employee involved in the incident,” said the statement.

The incident, which has been making rounds via social media, occurred in the downstairs corridor of the PMH Outpatient Wing, and involved a physical altercation between the  employee and the  supervisor hired by the contracted cleaning service.

The Authority said it  takes a very dim view of any instance of unprofessional behaviour, particularly at its institutions and agencies.

“Violent behaviour is completely unacceptable in any health facility and will not be tolerated anywhere within the PHA. Instances of threats, abuse or violence will result in the involvement of hospital security, and where necessary, law enforcement. Patient and staff safety is a fundamental and essential attribute of quality healthcare,”  the statement said.

The PHA said it  is committed to providing quality healthcare in a safe environment conducive to healing and recovery.