Patients treated after vowing not to attack doctors

İZMİR – Doğan News Agency

DHA Photo

İzmir Dokuz Eylül University Hospital’s Neurology Service has started to ask patients to sign a contract promising that they will not use violence against doctors, after two doctors were attacked by a patient’s relative.

“As your patient, I declare that I will support you [doctors] against any type of violence, today and tomorrow,” says the text signed by the patients. Those who refuse to sign are denied access to the hospital’s neurology service. Only the neurology service is asking the patients to sign the agreement before the treatment while the university’s rector office has to give permission in order to implement the practice throughout the other services at the hospital. Two doctors, Nazenin Hasanzade and Anıl Gürkan, were attacked by a man identified as U.T., after his mother died in the hospital following a heart failure on March 28. A group of doctors spent the night in a tent in the garden of the hospital in support of their colleagues. Anıl Tanburoğlu, representative for the assistant doctors said they have already distributed 3,000 petitions.

“We will do whatever necessary to prevent violence against health workers. We are waiting for the permission of the rector to extend it to all sections of the hospital. Patients and their relatives are signing the petitions without hesitation, they support us,” Tanburoğlu said.