Violence against medical personnel in the emergency room: urgent actions needed
Once again, an episode of violence has occurred in the emergency room. Tomasco: Immediate and concrete actions are needed. Vallo della Lucania. Another attack against a doctor. The new episode, as reported by Nursind Salerno, took place at the emergency room of the hospital in Valllo della Lucania. The provincial secretariat of Nursind in Salerno has therefore raised the urgency of the problem of aggression against healthcare personnel.
A new appeal following the note of August 26th, which had already highlighted the urgent need to address this delicate issue.
“The continuous attacks in the emergency room of the San Luca hospital represent a serious threat to the safety of medical and paramedical staff who tirelessly work to provide medical assistance in emergency situations. The trade union is aware of the efforts of the internal security structure to address the problem, but emphasizes that these incidents continue without interruption,” reads the note from Nursind.
Another attack
“A recent episode, which occurred on the night between Saturday and Sunday, involved a doctor on duty who was assaulted. Only thanks to the quick reflexes of a security guard and the self-control of the doctor involved, the situation did not escalate further. However, as a union, we highlight that this time the episode did not receive the wide media coverage that had accompanied similar attacks in the past, mainly because the aggressor was not a well-known local politician. This circumstance raises concerns that violence against healthcare workers is not adequately recognized in public debate and may be considered a lesser evil,” said Biagio Tomasco, general secretary of Nursind Salerno, in a note sent to the Governor of the Campania Region, Vincenzo De Luca, to the heads of the ASL Salerno, and to the provincial president of the Order of Nursing Professions.
The Salerno secretariat of Nursind opposes the idea of equipping healthcare personnel with personal body cameras, believing that this would violate the privacy of patients who go to the emergency room of the Vallo della Lucania hospital. Instead, the trade union supports the installation of closed-circuit cameras in common areas, believing that this would deter malicious behavior and ensure greater safety for medical staff.
The appeal
“There is a need to establish a crisis committee that includes representatives of law enforcement, health authorities, and social organizations. This committee should work together to develop concrete measures to contain and prevent attacks against healthcare personnel. Furthermore, we emphasize the need for the Campania Region to finally adopt guidelines on the containment of overcrowding in the emergency rooms, a problem previously reported by the trade union at the regional level.”
Finally, the mayor expresses his unconditional support and solidarity to all the operators of the emergency room in Vallo della Lucania, who, despite the constant shortage of staff, continue to carry out their work with professionalism and dedication.
“Violence against healthcare personnel represents a serious challenge that requires immediate and concrete actions from the authorities and the community as a whole. As a trade union, we remain determined to fight for the safety of healthcare workers and for the well-being of patients who depend on their care,” explained the members of the secretariat of the Vallo della Lucania hospital, Adriano Cirillo, Roberta Barberini Rodio, Giusy D’Acunto, Alessandro Ricchi, Vincenzo Scandizzo, Angelo Sparano, Luca Gabellini.
