Accidents of attacking medical staff continue to occur
On October 23, at the Neonatal Department of Nghe An Obstetrics and Pediatrics Hospital, a strange man rushed into the infirmary, demanded to pick up and throw the newborn into the window. When the patient's family members intervened, the subject used a weapon to attack and injured 7 people, including 3 medical staff, 2 newborns and 2 patients' relatives. nurse N.T.T.H was stabbed 4 times in the neck, chest, and back, luckily she was saved. Suspect B.V.V (29 years old, from Bac Ninh), whose wife had just given birth at the hospital, was then controlled.
Previously, on the evening of October 7, at Vung Tau General Hospital, while the patient's emergency team was in critical condition, a young man believed to be a patient's family member rushed in to assault a female nurse, causing her to stunned and had to be hospitalized for treatment.
According to statistics from the Department of Medical Examination and Treatment Management (Ministry of Health), doctors account for 70% of victims in cases of disorder at medical facilities, nursing accounts for 15%. Notably, 90% of cases occur right in the hospital grounds, mainly during emergencies or when doctors explain their condition to family members.
Causes from both sides
Dr. Ha Anh Duc, Director of the Department of Medical Examination and Treatment Management (Ministry of Health) - said that the cause came from both sides. The medical industry works in a high-pressure environment, receiving about 200 million visits each year, with tens of thousands of patients per day at the Central level. Meanwhile, communication and behavioral skills of medical staff have not been properly trained, making it difficult to handle stressful situations with patients and relatives.
On the contrary, the anxious and uncontrolled mentality of family members when the patient is in critical condition can easily lead to excessive behavior. Most of the incidents occurred in the Emergency and Resuscitation Department - where the biggest pressure was.
According to Dr. Duc, the medical industry is strengthening training in behavioral skills, improving hospital protection capacity, promoting digital transformation and improving service style to build a civilized and safe medical examination and treatment environment.
"The highest goal of medical staff is to save people. I hope patients and their relatives understand and share, so that doctors can work in a safe environment and are dedicated to their contributions - Dr. Ha Anh Duc shared.
Strong enough legal mechanism is needed to prevent hospital violence
Prof. Dr. Tran Van Thuan - Deputy Minister of Health, Chairman of the National Medical Council - emphasized: Protecting medical staff must be a regular and systematic task. When a doctor is attacked, not only an individual is injured but people's trust in the health system is also seriously affected.
According to Deputy Minister Tran Van Thuan, the situation of violence and attacks on medical staff is still happening in many localities, leaving serious consequences both psychologically and in terms of treatment quality.
Many attacks on doctors and nurses in recent times have not been strictly handled, causing the team of doctors to fall into a state of insecurity. He affirmed: "We cannot stop at arranging additional security or cameras. The most important thing is to have a strong enough legal corridor, a clear response process and a close coordination mechanism to protect medical practitioners".
The Department of Medical Examination and Treatment Management proposed that the Ministry of Health study and amend Circular 32 guiding the implementation of Decree 96 on the implementation of the Law on Medical Examination and Treatment - especially the medical records sample section. Currently, information about the patient's condition is only provided in the Resuscitation Department. The Department proposed expanding this regulation to the Emergency Department, helping family members understand the disease, reduce frustration and limit conflicts.
The Department is also developing specific guidelines on hospital security and safety standards, considering this a criterion for evaluating the quality of medical examination and treatment facilities. The Ministry of Health has coordinated with the Ministry of Public Security to deploy an inter-sectoral model of health care - public security, helping to reduce serious cases. However, to ensure sustainability, it is necessary to legalize and regulate more specifically.
Currently, the Ministry of Health has sent a document to the Ministry of Public Security requesting to strengthen coordination to ensure security and order at medical facilities nationwide. At the same time, the ministry will soon submit to the Government a proposal to amend and supplement the Law on Medical Examination and Treatment and Decree 96, perfecting the legal mechanism and strictly handling sanctions for acts of abuse of medical staff.
