Violence at Matron Roberts Polyclinic Renews Calls to Protect Health Workers
A violent outburst at a city polyclinic is putting new focus on the risks healthcare workers face every day. Over the weekend, chaos erupted at the Matron Roberts Polyclinic when a woman allegedly forced her way into a doctor’s office, demanding urgent care and reportedly lashing out at staff. The incident, captured on video and now circulating widely, has sparked outrage and renewed calls for stronger protection for frontline medical workers. As tensions rise over safety inside public health facilities, the confrontation is adding urgency to a growing national conversation. News Five’s Paul Lopez has the story.
Paul Lopez, Reporting
Take a look at this video, these are the moments staff at the Matron Roberts Polyclinic tried to remove Nichole McDonald from the facility. You can see an employee dragging her across the floor by the leg as the situation spirals out of control. But what led to this dramatic scene? We spoke with Dr. Andre Castillo, the only physician on duty at the time. He says McDonald forced her way into his office, demanded immediate attention and then punched him in the face.
On the Phone: Dr. Andre Castillo, Medical Doctor, Matron Roberts Polyclinic
“The lady came to my office while I was with a patient and started yelling and demanded to be seen immediately. I told her I am with a patient and she has to wait. She appeared to want me to kick out the gentleman I was attending to, but we cant do that. I had my mask on, she looked at me and asked me if I am even from this country, what am I doing here, if I am even from this country. She then came in and punched me in the face. I didn’t react. I asked her to step outside. Because I didn’t react. She grabbed my stethoscope and started hitting me with it, pulled me out in the corridor.”
That confrontation quickly escalated. Staff stepped in to remove McDonald after the alleged assault, but she resisted and fought back. In the chaos, she even turned on another patient who tried to help. A security guard in a black shirt, along with a man in a white t-shirt and several others, moved in to restrain her. After a tense struggle, they managed to subdue McDonald. Police arrived shortly after and took her from the facility.
On the Phone: Dr. Andre Castillo
“I was hit, punch, but I think unfortunately some of my coworkers and innocent patients there got hit and punched more than what I got you know.”
Nichole McDonald is no stranger to the headlines and tonight, her name is back in the spotlight. She previously made news after facing cyberbullying charges brought by former Police Commissioner Chester Williams. Now, after this latest incident inside a public clinic, the focus is widening beyond her past. Dr. Andre Castillo is using the moment to sound the alarm, calling for tougher laws and stronger penalties to protect healthcare workers who face increasing risks on the job.
On the Phone: Dr. Andre Castillo
“What I would like to see is the laws be adjusted to make it a greater offence to assault any medical personnel, the Labtech, the nurse, the doctor, the health inspector, because I got punched on Saturday and there is way worst that. The racist comment I got hurt me more than the punch. We have workers who have been stabbed, sexually assaulted, medical staff had guns put to their face.”
The Ministry of Health and Wellness issued a statement over the weekend addressing the incident. The release says that any attack or threat against them is unacceptable and undermines patient safety, continuity and patients’ well-being. Reporting for News Five, I am Paul Lopez.
Nichole McDonald Remanded After Alleged Assault on Doctor
Nichole McDonald, the woman at the center of a violent confrontation at the Matron Roberts Polyclinic, has been remanded to prison after being charged in connection with the incident. The thirty-eight-year-old home care nurse appeared before Magistrate Neeshad Mohammed on June eighth, just days after she was granted bail on a separate matter. That bail came with strict conditions that she is not arrested or charged with any additional offenses. However, within a day, McDonald was back in police custody, this time accused of harming Doctor Andre Castillo and committing aggravated assault against a caregiver at the clinic. In court, McDonald pleaded not guilty to the charge of harm but was denied bail due to the violation of her prior conditions. The magistrate ordered that she be remanded to the Belize Central Prison until August third. It is alleged that during the confrontation, she punched Doctor Castillo in the face, causing pain and swelling. A caregiver who intervened was also reportedly assaulted during the altercation and feared for her life. The weekend incident follows a string of other charges against McDonald, including multiple counts of assault and disorderly behavior stemming from a separate confrontation days earlier. With her latest charges, McDonald remains behind bars as the legal proceedings continue.
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