Some 60 healthcare workers attacked in January, says union

ISTANBUL

Some 57 healthcare workers in Turkey were subjected to violence in January alone, a new report by the Union of Healthcare and Social Service Workers (Sağlık-Sen) has shown.

In the month, a total of such violence incidents occurred, the union said, calling on authorities to take swift measures.

According to the report, 68 assailants were involved in 30 such incidents, but no action was taken against 25 culprits. The lack of severe punishments is fueling violence against healthcare workers, the union said, calling on the Health Ministry and Justice Ministry as well as other stakeholders to take concrete steps to prevent assaults.

“Otherwise the violence will continue to seriously damage the healthcare system,” the union warned.

The report documented that in the first month of the year, 17 nurses, 16 doctors, 12 emergency healthcare workers, two security guards and 10 other healthcare staff were attacked, noting that 20 of those incidents occurred at hospitals, five at family healthcare centers and five during field works.

Some 17 attackers were arrested, 11 others were later released, and probes were launched against 14 assailants while no action was taken against 25 culprits, according to the report.

The report added that five patients were responsible for the attacks and 19 patients’ relatives were involved in those 30 cases of violence.

“It is appalling that nothing enough has been done as the violence against healthcare workers is on the rise. The whole society should be part of the fight against it. Recent statements from Health Minister Fahrettin Koca and Justice Minister Bekir Bozdağ signaling that new measures will be taken regarding violence against healthcare workers, however, are promising,” said Semih Durmuş, head of Sağlık-Sen.