A 21-year-old Hadera resident was arrested on suspicion of assaulting a nurse at Hillel Yaffe Medical Center in Hadera on Wednesday evening, Israel Police said on Thursday.
Hadera police opened an investigation after receiving a report that a nurse had been assaulted at the hospital.
According to police, a patient approached the nurse during her shift, and an argument developed during which he allegedly began behaving violently and verbally abusing her. After the nurse asked him to stop, he allegedly assaulted her.
Officers from the Hadera Police Station arrived at the hospital and began investigating the circumstances of the incident. The suspect was arrested shortly afterward and taken to the Hadera police station for questioning.
The incident occurred at approximately 6 p.m. on Wednesday in the hospital's emergency department.
Nurse injured after patient throws bottle at her
Hillel Yaffe Medical Center described the incident as "an extremely serious case of physical assault of a nurse by a patient who threw a bottle at her and caused her actual physical injury."
According to the hospital, members of its security team who were nearby intervened immediately and detained the man until police arrived. A complaint was filed, and the incident was transferred to Israel Police for further investigation.
Prof. Miki Dudkiewicz, director of Hillel Yaffe Medical Center, condemned the attack.
"The hospital's devoted staff provides treatment and healing to patients around the clock. We strongly condemn this brutal act and will not allow our employees to feel threatened, their work to be disrupted, or their safety to be harmed. We will ensure that they are protected at all times while acting uncompromisingly to eradicate violence," Dudkiewicz said.
Israel Police said it views any violence against medical staff, who work on behalf of the public, with particular severity and would act decisively to bring those involved to justice.
The investigation is ongoing.