Three Malaga doctors receive threats from patients in just one week

Health

The president of Malaga's medical association supports the new law the regional health ministry is preparing to protect healthcare workers

José Antonio Sau

Three doctors at Malaga's Hospital Regional have been verbally assaulted and subjected to significant stress by threats from several patients in just one week this past June. The threats triggered concerns over potential physical abuse.

The first happened on 8 June. It involved a woman accompanying a patient who threatened she would "throw" the doctor "down the stairs", as Malaga's medical association reported.

The incident took place at 2pm when staff told a patient and their family that their surgery would need to be postponed by two weeks because an earlier surgery had overrun.

Family members then became aggressive and increasingly threatening. According to the complaint, the staff felt afraid as they heard shouting, banging on walls and slamming doors. The doctors also reported hearing threats, including an intention to "throw her down the stairs" and the phrase: "We will come back tomorrow."

The police were unable to identify those involved in the second incident. One woman left the hospital wearing a hospital gown with an IV line still attached.

In a separate case, a court has issued a 500-metre restraining order against a patient under investigation for allegedly assaulting two psychiatric emergency doctors at the hospital on 12 June. The doctors activated their panic alarm after feeling threatened.

Police reports state that the incident began during a psychiatric assessment. When doctors told the patient the consultation had ended, she became aggressive and demanded further treatment.

The woman allegedly grabbed the computer, monitor and telephone from the doctor's office and violently threw them to the floor. The doctors activated the panic button to call for help.

She left the department but returned a few minutes later, bypassed security and went back to one doctor’s room. "After forcing her way in, she began shouting insults and even raised her arms with the apparent intention of physically assaulting one of the doctors," the medical association said. Security staff restrained her until the National Police arrived and arrested her.

The two doctors reported shock and anxiety.

The medical association has strongly condemned the attacks. "We will not tire of raising our voices against attacks on healthcare workers. It is unacceptable. We need to be able to work in peace and not be subjected to the violence that we too often encounter in health centres and emergency rooms," president of the Malaga medical association Dr Pedro J. Navarro said.

Any aggression, whether physical, verbal, through threats or acts of intimidation, constitutes an attack not only against those who practice medicine, but also against the entire health system and the right to receive care in safe and respectful conditions.

The medical association urges healthcare workers and witnesses to report all assaults and reminds doctors in the province that its urgent assistance hotline (TAU) is available 365 days a year. The TAU offers free advice, support and legal assistance to healthcare workers throughout the entire process.

The medical association believes it is essential that future regulations also include doctors working in private healthcare. "It cannot be that an assault in the public healthcare system has different consequences for the aggressor than in the private sector when the doctor performs the same job in both," Dr Navarro said.

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