Naples – Yet another act of violence against those who work every day on the front lines to protect public health. Just days after yet another alarm was raised by the unions, a nurse was attacked in the emergency room of Naples' San Paolo Hospital while treating a suspected case of meningitis.
A punch to the chest, delivered despite the medical staff's attempts to reassure him, caused an already critical situation to escalate, necessitating the intervention of the police, which arrived only later.
The commissioners of the UIL FPL Naples and Campania, Ciro Chietti and Pietro Bardoscia, reported the incident. In a statement, they expressed their "full and total solidarity" with the attacked colleague and spoke bluntly of a situation that was now out of control.
"It is unacceptable," they emphasize, "that we continue to witness episodes of physical violence within healthcare facilities, places that should provide care and safety for both citizens and workers."
According to the union, the incident at the San Paolo stadium is not an isolated case, but rather further confirmation of a structural emergency. The data provided by UIL FPL are alarming: since the beginning of the year, 46 assaults have been reported in the ASL Napoli 1 area alone, rising to over 72 if the northern and southern areas of the province are included. These numbers paint a dramatic picture and, according to union representatives, demonstrate how the prevention and safety measures adopted thus far are completely insufficient.
"Immediate action and clear responsibilities are needed," Chietti and Bardoscia reiterate. "We can no longer postpone a concrete response to protect doctors, nurses, and healthcare workers, who are forced to work daily in conditions of increasing exposure to risk."
Hence the call for direct involvement of regional institutions. The UIL FPL urges the intervention of the President of the Campania Region, Roberto Fico, and calls for an urgent meeting to systematically address the scourge of assaults and seriously invest in Campania's public healthcare system. "This emergency can no longer be underestimated," they conclude, "the safety of healthcare workers must become a top priority."
Source EDITORIAL TEAM
Comments (1)
It's strange that there are increasing acts of violence against healthcare workers. I think a solution is urgently needed. These attacks cannot be tolerated, and more must be done to protect hospital workers.