Naples – The war bulletin of attacks against Neapolitan healthcare workers is updated with disturbing regularity.
The latest scene of violence is the “Sir 27 Gennaio” Mental Health Center of the ASL Napoli 1 Centro, where the facility's coordinator was targeted by a patient on two separate occasions, turning the place of care into a trap.
The association "Nessuno tocchi Ippocrate" (Hands Off Ippocrate) has lifted the veil on what happened in recent weeks, responding to the cry for help from those on the front lines. The incidents date back to January 2nd and 16th, but the chilling details are only now emerging, painting a picture of a security situation that is now in shambles.
The Double Attack: The Horror Story
The first attack, which occurred on January 2nd, was dramatic. The coordinator was in her office when the patient, clearly in a state of psychomotor agitation, attacked her with unprecedented fury, repeatedly headbutting her in the face.
The paradox of safety was revealed in all its gravity in those very moments: it wasn't the security guards who saved the coordinator, but two patients present in the facility who, hearing her screams, intervened to restrain the attacker, suffering bruises themselves. The victim's shift ended in the emergency room of San Paolo Hospital.
Not even two weeks later, on January 16th, the nightmare repeated itself. "I was in my room with the nurse on duty and the cleaner," the victim recounted in her testimony.
The patient, apparently calm and under sedation, entered after a brief reassuring conversation. Then, a sudden outburst: the woman jumped on the coordinator, pulling her hair and repeatedly hitting her. Only the quick reflexes of the cleaner prevented worse consequences, managing to free the nurse from the attacker's grip.
The unions' anger: "Get out of there immediately."
Faced with this escalation, the cup is full. Nessuno tochi Hippocrates points the finger at a protection system that is leaking from every side, calling for immediate action.
The unions Cisl, Nursind, and Nursing Up have taken a very strong stance, and in a joint statement they mince no words: "We demand the immediate removal of the dangerous individual responsible for the recent attacks."
For the unions, there is only one solution: "A simultaneous transfer to an intermediate residential facility that guarantees a permanent 24-hour medical presence, the only one suitable for managing these situations."
The demands don't stop there: the organizations demand the immediate activation of "qualified surveillance" and legal and psychological support for the victims, forced to work with the constant fear of not returning home safe.
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Comments (1)
Reading the article, one understands that the situation is truly serious. Healthcare workers should be better protected, and increased vigilance is needed. It's sad to know that patients can attack in this way.