Hospital nurse attacked...because she asked for AMKA number!
Corfu Hospital
20 Jun 2022
/ 13:46
CORFU. Hospital workers have reported another case of abusive and threatening behaviour and are requesting protection and legal cover.
Just a few days after a previous attack on a nurse, resulting in a patient's escort being arrested, hospital workers have reported another incident of abuse against an Emergency Department nurse, which took place on Friday 17 June.
According to a joint statement issued by the three employees' unions, a patient who had come in the morning for an examination verbally abused a nurse and then threatened her because she asked him for his AMKA number in order to put him on the list.
Joint statement:
"The man grabbed the nurse by her uniform and attempted to shut the two of them up in the small office! Fortunately, nothing worse happened thanks to the intervention of a paediatrician who happened to be there and another administrative employee.
It is tiring and infuriating that we continuously have to issue statements like this - soon, we will just have to copy/paste them, merely changing the dates.
It is tiring and infuriating seeing the inaction and indifference of those in charge despite the repeated incidents.
It is tiring and infuriating that we are afraid to go to work.
It is tiring and infuriating that every so often we have to repeat what is self-obvious - Employees who are attacked at work MUST HAVE PROTECTION AND LEGAL COVER FROM THEIR EMPLOYERS.
The management in this sector (as in others) has a huge responsibility. As well as the almost non-existent security at the hospital (only 2-3 guards for the whole hospital on each shift, one of whom has to remain at the main gate), the attack victims are basically unprotected by law as the only recourse is for the employee to file a suit personally. The employee also doesn't have 'bodyguards' and is often hesitant to get involved in legal wrangles with the perpetrators.
For this reason, we AGAIN ask for the existing legislation to be amended and for the hospitals themselves to intervene IMMEDIATELY in these types of violent incident so that the perpetrators are dealt with immediately without the employee having to get involved. Our MPs haven't done much for the hospital but let them do at least this for the employees. Alternatively, relocate the administrative offices to the entrance so that they can deal with the aggressive behaviour!
Corfu Hospital Administration should remember the first decision it made when it took over - "to recruit security guards". We would like to remind them that 10 guards have left and have never been replaced. They must do it NOW!
The continuous attacks on hospital personnel are not a matter of upbringing as has been said in social media posts since the previous attack. It is mainly a matter of education.
People's accumulated anger with a health system that cannot serve their needs should be directed at the main cause - years of government policy which has weakened the hospitals - and they should fight WITH the personnel and not against them for a modern, public and free health system which will serve all their needs."
According to a joint statement issued by the three employees' unions, a patient who had come in the morning for an examination verbally abused a nurse and then threatened her because she asked him for his AMKA number in order to put him on the list.
Joint statement:
"The man grabbed the nurse by her uniform and attempted to shut the two of them up in the small office! Fortunately, nothing worse happened thanks to the intervention of a paediatrician who happened to be there and another administrative employee.
It is tiring and infuriating that we continuously have to issue statements like this - soon, we will just have to copy/paste them, merely changing the dates.
It is tiring and infuriating seeing the inaction and indifference of those in charge despite the repeated incidents.
It is tiring and infuriating that we are afraid to go to work.
It is tiring and infuriating that every so often we have to repeat what is self-obvious - Employees who are attacked at work MUST HAVE PROTECTION AND LEGAL COVER FROM THEIR EMPLOYERS.
The management in this sector (as in others) has a huge responsibility. As well as the almost non-existent security at the hospital (only 2-3 guards for the whole hospital on each shift, one of whom has to remain at the main gate), the attack victims are basically unprotected by law as the only recourse is for the employee to file a suit personally. The employee also doesn't have 'bodyguards' and is often hesitant to get involved in legal wrangles with the perpetrators.
For this reason, we AGAIN ask for the existing legislation to be amended and for the hospitals themselves to intervene IMMEDIATELY in these types of violent incident so that the perpetrators are dealt with immediately without the employee having to get involved. Our MPs haven't done much for the hospital but let them do at least this for the employees. Alternatively, relocate the administrative offices to the entrance so that they can deal with the aggressive behaviour!
Corfu Hospital Administration should remember the first decision it made when it took over - "to recruit security guards". We would like to remind them that 10 guards have left and have never been replaced. They must do it NOW!
The continuous attacks on hospital personnel are not a matter of upbringing as has been said in social media posts since the previous attack. It is mainly a matter of education.
People's accumulated anger with a health system that cannot serve their needs should be directed at the main cause - years of government policy which has weakened the hospitals - and they should fight WITH the personnel and not against them for a modern, public and free health system which will serve all their needs."
