New attack on the Ramazzini emergency room: the firm condemnation of the ASL Health

The Modena Local Health Authority strongly condemns the verbal attack that occurred yesterday morning, Thursday 9 May, against healthcare professionals in the emergency room of the Ramazzini hospital in Carpi. With a long note, the Local Health Authority clarifies its version of events and calls on everyone to show greater respect for the work of healthcare workers on the front line. “A man, a relative of a patient who arrived in the emergency room via ambulance – according to the law in the note – uttered insults against the doctor and nurses, because they disagreed with the diagnostic and therapeutic procedure decided, and not because of the wait as mistakenly reported, the woman was taken care of within four minutes and during the visit the family member insulted the staff, effectively interrupting the activity for a prolonged period of time implemented in the workplace and for professionals who operate exclusively in the interest of citizens’ health”.

“Attitudes and gestures – continues the ASL – which unfortunately occur too often and which make the work of doctors and nurses even more difficult: not only verbal aggressions like the one that occurred yesterday, but also actions that appear disrespectful and aggressive – such as the video with one’s mobile phone of a visit, an exam or a medical interview, carried out with a retaliatory attitude – as has already happened several times, recently at the Community House of Castelfranco Emilia, behaviors that undermine the doctor-patient relationship of trust and place the healthcare worker in a condition of serious discomfort in the provision of care. It is necessary for every single citizen to feel responsible for their behavior towards other people, in every context and, a few days before Nurses’ Day. celebrates Sunday 12 May, it is necessary to reiterate the need to rediscover that sense of community at the basis of which there must be respect towards everyone, in this case health workers who work with commitment and self-sacrifice”.

“It is also important to underline – concludes the ASL – that health workers carry out their priority role of taking care of patients’ health needs, identifying priorities, risk stratification and planning a diagnostic-therapeutic path with dedication and competence : it is not conceivable, nor acceptable, for the citizen to independently define the diagnosis and treatment process, or to violently contest the one indicated by the health workers, especially in an emergency-urgency context, because this undermines the collaborative relationship and mutual trust, an integral part of the treatment process. The USL Company will always continue to work to protect its employees, implementing all the necessary measures, including deterrence ones such as the actions already undertaken in the Carpi ED and in many others a reality where unfortunately we still have to deal with episodes of violence (physical or verbal) against professionals”.