A man from Winnipeg raised concerns about hospital safety after his 94-year-old mother was assaulted by another patient at St. Boniface Hospital. Maria Capizzi was transferred from her care home to the hospital on Jan. 9 due to declining health. Initially placed with another female patient, she was later attacked by a male patient who tried to suffocate her with a towel before hospital staff intervened.
Following the incident, Maria was moved to comfort care, and the alleged attacker was relocated to a different ward. The family was disturbed to learn that the individual had a history of visits to the hospital. Maria’s health deteriorated, and she passed away the next week, with her family stating her death was unrelated to the assault.
The police charged a 49-year-old man with assault in connection to the incident, who was released pending a court appearance. The victim’s son believed the charge should have been for attempted murder, emphasizing the severity of the situation. The Winnipeg Regional Health Authority spokesperson emphasized that patient safety is paramount and that measures are in place to prevent such incidents.
The incident was reported to the Protection for Persons in Care Office, and the hospital management reached out to the family for support. The son hopes that sharing his mother’s story will lead to improved safety measures in hospitals to prevent similar incidents in the future.