Napoli - Another episode of violence against health workers in Naples. In the early afternoon yesterday, a 118 ambulance was hit with a bottle while it was operating at a migrant center in via Marvasi, near the central station.
A guest of the facility, for reasons still unknown, suddenly threw himself against the vehicle, seriously damaging the windshield.
This is the 36th attack recorded since the beginning of the year against doctors and nurses of the ASL Napoli 1 and Napoli 2 Nord, according to what was reported by the association “Nobody touches Hippocrates”, who commented bitterly: «Now we are attacked on principle».
The ones most affected are the 118 operators, often the target of violent acts even during emergency interventions. A dynamic that puts a strain on the entire territorial health system, already burdened by staff and resource shortages. In Naples and its province, in fact, there are only 19 active ambulances for a catchment area that almost 1 million people between the capital and the island of Capri.
Response times for red codes are in line with the national average, but operating conditions remain critical. The Region has announced a competition to recruit 20 118 doctors, but so far only 28 applications have been received and it is not a given that all candidates will show up. More and more professionals are choosing less risky and less tiring career paths. Many are calling for the need for economic and contractual incentives, but also for the application of certain penalties for those who attack healthcare personnel, to prevent similar episodes from going unpunished.
Article published on 8 June 2025 - 14:23
It is very worrying to see that violence against healthcare workers continues to increase in Naples. Ambulances should be safe places, not targets of aggression. I hope that effective solutions can be found to protect those who work in emergencies.