By Breaking Belize News Staff: A 39-year-old Santa Elena woman has been remanded to prison after alleged attacking a patient and nurse inside the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital (KHMH).
Dulce Portillo, an unemployed resident of Santa Elena, Cayo, appeared unrepresented on Wednesday before Senior Magistrate Mannon Dennison in Court #6, where she was charged with a single count of aggravated assault upon a registered nurse in the execution of her duties.
Portillo pleaded not guilty but was cautioned by the court after attempting to explain her side of the story during arraignment. She indicated she had contacted a legal advisor but was advised to remain silent to avoid self-incrimination.
Despite no objection to bail from the prosecution, Portillo was granted bail in the sum of $2,000 plus one surety of the same amount, with strict conditions. She is to have no contact with the complainant or any prosecution witnesses. However, she was unable to meet bail and was remanded to the Belize Central Prison until her next court date on June 10, 2026.
According to police reports, the incident occurred on Monday, April 20, around 8:15 p.m., inside the Surgical Ward at KHMH. The nurse reported that she was alerted by a relative that a woman in Room 3 was slapping a patient.
Upon entering the room, the nurse allegedly witnessed Portillo striking the patient on both sides of his face. When confronted, Portillo reportedly became aggressive, pushing the nurse who then pushed her back escalating the situation further into a physical altercation.
The nurse said that she attempted to back up but was pushed onto a bed, where Portillo allegedly tried to jump on top of her. The nurse said she kicked Portillo in the chest to get her off. Another nurse intervened and attempted to separate the two using an IV pole.
However, Portillo allegedly grabbed the IV pole and attempted to strike the nurse with it, prompting the nurse to flee the room and seek help from hospital security. Moments later, when the nurse returned to retrieve her phone, Portillo reportedly chased her again with the IV pole.
Police were called to the scene, and Portillo was later detained and formally charged following an investigation.
The incident has raised concerns about safety within hospital wards, particularly for frontline medical staff carrying out their duties.
The post Surgery Ward Smackdown: Woman remanded after allegedly slapping surgery ward patient and attacking nurse with IV pole appeared first on Belize News and Opinion on www.breakingbelizenews.com.
By Breaking Belize News Staff: A 39-year-old Santa Elena woman has been remanded to prison after alleged attacking a patient and nurse inside the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital (KHMH). Dulce Portillo, an unemployed resident of Santa Elena, Cayo, appeared unrepresented on Wednesday before Senior Magistrate Mannon Dennison in Court #6, where she was charged with
The post Surgery Ward Smackdown: Woman remanded after allegedly slapping surgery ward patient and attacking nurse with IV pole appeared first on Belize News and Opinion on www.breakingbelizenews.com.
