Assault on doctor at Jēkabpils hospital: suspect detained on 13 August
A man assaulted a doctor at the admissions department in Jēkabpils on 6 August, causing bodily harm. Criminal proceedings have been initiated against the suspect, born in 1976.
Doctor's assailant at Jēkabpils hospital detained a week after incident
Google News LV — Crime (lv) reports that the State Police (VP) have revealed new details about an assault on a doctor at Jēkabpils regional hospital in early August. The conflict escalated after an on-duty doctor refused to provide assistance without police present.
On 6 August at approximately 21:00, two men and three women arrived at the hospital, one of whom had an injured hand. The individuals behaved inappropriately and disrupted the institution's work, so the on-duty doctor decided not to provide assistance until police arrived — to protect himself and colleagues. One of the men found this decision unacceptable: he assaulted the doctor and caused bodily harm.
VP identified all persons involved. An administrative violation proceeding has been initiated against a woman born in 1982 — for being in a public place whilst intoxicated (0.82 mg/L breath alcohol content) and for disturbing public order. For the first type of violation, a warning or fine of up to 350 euros is threatened; for the second, a warning or fine of up to 500 euros.
Criminal proceedings have been initiated against a man born in 1976 who assaulted the doctor, under Article 231, Part 2 of the Criminal Law, for hooliganism involving bodily harm. This offence carries a punishment of imprisonment for up to five years, short-term imprisonment, probation supervision, public works, or a fine.
The suspect initially fled the scene and evaded police. On 13 August, he was detained. The individual was imposed a non-custodial security measure, including a ban on approaching the doctor and a ban on leaving the country.
Hospital director calls for state security standards
Board chairman Ervīns Keišs of SIA "Jēkabpils reģionālā slimnīca" confirmed that a serious conflict situation developed at the admissions department on 6 August. "At the moment when the doctor at the admissions department was attempting to provide emergency medical assistance to the patient, the doctor was physically assaulted by the patient's companion. The persons involved in the situation generally behaved markedly agitated and aggressively, so the involvement of both Municipal Police and VP was necessary," Keišs described.
Keišs stressed that such treatment of a healthcare professional performing their professional duties is unacceptable under any circumstances. The hospital as an employer has a duty to provide a safe working environment — with internal security procedures, staff response algorithms for conflict situations, and prompt involvement of security and law enforcement institutions.
Following the incident, the hospital administration called on the state to establish unified and funded security standards for hospital admissions departments. "However, in our view, this issue cannot be left solely to the discretion of each individual hospital. At the state level, it would be necessary to establish unified and realistically funded security standards for hospital admissions departments," Keišs commented.
In his view, standards could include requirements regarding physical security, video surveillance, emergency alarm buttons, access control, safe room layout, and mechanisms for rapid police response. Keišs also noted that the question should be discussed of whether healthcare professionals providing emergency assistance require enhanced legal protection against physical assaults — similar to that established for other professionals working in high-risk circumstances.
Financial burden — an additional challenge
Keišs acknowledged that additional security requirements also mean additional expenses. "In a situation where hospitals are simultaneously facing very limited financial resources and funding reductions precisely for emergency assistance and admissions department operations, asking healthcare institutions to finance ever higher security levels on their own is extremely challenging," the board chairman commented, adding that security requirements should be followed by appropriate funding.
According to "Firmas.lv" data, the hospital's turnover in 2025 was 23,594,591 euros, with profit of 1,310,051 euros. The hospital is owned by Jēkabpils municipal authority.
Source: Google News LV — Crime (lv)