Doctors Manitoba recognizes Dr. Ken Hahlweg for his bravery following Seven Oaks assault
Winnipeg Regional Health Authority
Published Wednesday, November 10, 2021
At a special ceremony at 11:00 a.m. today, Doctors Manitoba honored Dr. Ken Hahlweg, site medical lead for the Northern Connection Medical Centre, with a Special Award for Bravery for his heroic role in disrupting a knife attack on a nursing colleague last month at Seven Oaks General Hospital.
The incident occurred on Wednesday, October 27 in the early afternoon. After hearing some commotion near the entrance, he saw his nursing colleague being attacked with a large knife. Dr. Hahlweg tackled the assailant and chased him out of the hospital where the assailant was arrested by police. The attacker has since been charged with one count of attempted murder, as well as two counts of murder connected with deaths earlier that day.
Speaking after the event, Dr. Hahlweg said, "I'm deeply honoured, and I'm just grateful for a positive outcome in terms of what had happened. This is completely unexpected and the whole event was unexpected. It's hard to accept in that context. I'm just feeling that I did what I needed to do at the time."
He added that events at Seven Oaks took less than a minute to transpire, and he simply reacted to what he saw.
"Seeing the assailant appear with a knife in his hand, I was able to react in the moment. From the time he entered the building to the time I chased him out, it was all of 47 seconds. It was incredibly fast, and there really was no time to think. Somehow, the attack had to be stopped."
Nearly two weeks later, Dr. Halhweg is still coming to grips with the incident.
"I'm physically recovering still; my back is pretty sore. I'm availing myself of the supports that are available through Doctors Manitoba and my family physician," he says. "When something like this happens and jars you from your day-to-day existence, it's natural to be affected. It's not something you should be managing on your own because it is something that is beyond you. It was something that was so random and so violent."
He adds that he's grateful for the support he's received.
"In terms of the WRHA community, I'm very, very grateful for all of the support that I've received from my colleagues, from the community area, and from Seven Oaks hospital. That's been very kind and generous, and is very much appreciated because kindness goes a long way to help support healing."
