Yet another case of aggression against doctors. Once again it is a woman who is hit, in this case a doctor on medical duty in Maruggio, in the province of Taranto. In the last few days, during the night between 17th and 18th August, the parents of a childaccompanied by an eye problem and not satisfied with the indication to consult a specialist, They heavily insulted and violently pushed the doctor who had to barricade herself in the roomstill suffering a trauma to the shoulder. After the episode, the woman, 32 years old, who also had a panic attack following the attack, decided to resign.
“I resign – she told the journalists who interviewed her – on behalf of all women. Of all the female doctors who work at three in the morning and don’t have the possibility of having their partner nearby. I do it for them, for all of us. We must be protected, at least have a security guard next to us. Ours is a noble profession, available to others. But we cannot risk it like this”.
Order of Physicians: “Resignation defeats NHS”
The resignation of a doctor who no longer feels safe during his activity, “and therefore no longer wants to work in the National Health Service, is a defeat: it is the certification that the system does not work. And that doctors leave to protect themselves. In this way, sooner or later we will all leave”. This is the bitter reflection made by the president of the National Federation of Medical Associations (Fnomceo), Filippo Anelli, with Adnkronos Salute.
“Unfortunately, this is the bitter conclusion of this story – continues Anelli – and it seems to me that, on this issue, there have been too many words so far. We need to act. It is clear that there is a contradiction between all the opinion polls that show trust in doctors and appreciation of the doctor-patient relationship and then the attacks that, however, are mainly the result of the dysfunction of the system. The system is unable to provide those answers immediately, as citizens would like, mainly because there is a lack of professionals. This is the tragedy. Either the government acknowledges that this is a health emergency or the system fails”.
There are many episodes of violence recorded this August that embitter Anelli: from Chiari, in the province of Brescia, to Castellamare di Stabia, from Massa Carrara to Crotone, from Monfalcone (Gorizia) to Bari, Lecce, Foggia up to the episode reported yesterday in the Taranto area. “Let’s avoid that this colleague – says Anelli – to whom we extend our closeness, leaves her job. We ask President Emiliano to guarantee her safety, if necessary by assigning her a different office. Her resignation, I repeat, would be a defeat for the entire system and we cannot allow this. Losing our doctors, our professionals means condemning our National Health Service to a slow agony”.
“The Government has already implemented some measures – Anelli acknowledges – but more must be done. Repression is not enough to stem a phenomenon that has many causes, first of all the shortage of health personnel, due to decades of defunding. Official prosecution is not enough, if the episodes are not brought to light to hide disorganization and malfunctions. Expressions of solidarity and trust in doctors are not enough, if at the first hitch they become the scapegoats for what is wrong. We need answers. We need resources to stem the flight of health personnel. We need more doctors, in hospital and in the territory, better paid and more valued. In this situation, clinical risk also increases, as does the possibility of error. We need real safety measures to restore serenity to professionals”.
“The numerous attacks of these days – concludes Anelli – are the unmistakable symptom of a malaise and a difficulty that risk going beyond the point of no return. A discomfort that can only be cured with facts, with adequate investments and with policies that restore safety and serenity to those who care for and those who are cared for”.
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