Columbus Co. Health Department staff brings safety concerns to commission

COLUMBUS COUNTY, NC (WWAY) — Columbus County Department of Health’s staff members are concerned about their safety at work. Monday night some employees went before the county commission to ask for funding for a metal detector or security guard.

The health care workers described a recent patient becoming verbally abusive to a staff member.

Columbus County Health Director Kim Smith says this is common and in fact something like this happens about once a week.

“These encounters that we are starting to have at the health department are starting to escalate. In the past we’ve been able to diffuse those situations but now it’s just getting to a point that it’s just at its next level, and my staff is very uneasy,” said Smith.

Smith suggested the county give them $35,000 to hire a security guard. The commission asked Smith to reevaluate their safety protocol and look for different ways they can handle the increasing safety issues at the health department.

Commissioners plans on revisiting the issue.