“I heard a big commotion while I was in my outpatient department in the hospital. At that point I went out to understand and found a patient, of medium age, who was protesting loudly and shouting. In truth he didn’t use insults but his words were decidedly threatening”: this is the reconstruction of the doctor Stefano Giulioni who in Foligno in recent days found himself facing a dangerous situation that happens more and more often in Italian hospitals. A patient, for reasons yet to be understood, first started a protest and then attacked a nurse.
“Frankly, when I left the clinic I didn’t see any violent acts but only a threatening attitude and it was impossible to talk to him. Only later did I understand that he was going to attack one of our healthcare workers. At that point I asked for the intervention of the police forces. order to avoid other violent situations. My intention was to take the individual out of the hospital.” But just when the doctor – resident since his University days in Perugia but originally from the Marche region – with great politeness and firmness tried to push the troublemaker away, the latter’s reaction was triggered.
“He tried several times to kick in a confusing manner. One hit but luckily nothing serious. Immediately afterwards he quickly fled. A bad episode especially for the healthcare worker who, at least according to what I was told , had the worst with this subject. We in Umbria must now also ask ourselves how to protect medical personnel and healthcare workers”.
The case of the attacked doctors had been relaunched in recent days by the former president of the Red Cross – for 15 years at the top of the association – Paolo Scura (in the photo at the bottom, first on the left) now a candidate for the regional elections of 17-18 November. “The attacks of health workers are the most damaging thing for a community that must rely on professionals in complicated and vital sectors such as health care. It is a sign of how much degradation is growing in our society. The institutions and the media must reiterate that doctors and healthcare workers are men and women who have studied, trained and sacrifice themselves to give healthcare responses to patients, also putting their own health at risk as the Covid drama has taught us. Attacking healthcare workers is a cowardly act and do it quickly.”
