HAVANA, August 6. /TASS/. Prime Minister of St. Vincent and the Grenadines Ralph Gonsalves has been wounded during protests rallies in the capital of Kingstown, the Loop News portal reports.

It is noted that the head of government has now been rushed to a hospital. According to preliminary information, one of the protesters opposing the healthcare reform threw a heavy object at him to cause the head injury. Gonsalves was then returning from a parliament meeting.

Authorities of St. Vincent and the Grenadines have sent Prime Minister Ralph Gonsalves to Barbados for treatment under doctors’ recommendation after he sustained an injury, local News 784 portal reported.

According to the portal, the finance minister informed the parliament that the prime minister would get an MRI in the neighboring country, adding that the authorities view the attack as an attempt on Gonsalves’s life. The opposition condemned the illegal actions by the attackers.

A photo is being circulated on social media, which is believed to have been taken in the hospital, showing the top part of the prime minister’s shirt covered in blood, but Gonsalves himself seems to be conscious.

The protests in the country were prompted by several amendments to the healthcare law which particularly propose to make COVID-19 vaccinations mandatory for public employees.