A Calabrian ER chief who was coshed
by a patient's relative Monday night said Tuesday he and his
staff could no longer work in peace and a constant police
presence was needed to stave off such assaults.
"We have reached an extreme point where the doctor no longer has
the freedom, peacefully, to decide on the therapy, on the care
of a patient," said the head doctor of the Emergency Department
of Lamezia Terme, Rosario Procopio, who was attacked last night
and returned to work today.
"We are practically harassed every day both by the patients
themselves but also by their families on what we should do, on
what tests to request, when to discharge and if to discharge.
"It is no longer possible to accept a situation of this type
because we cannot work in peace and then we risk, if we are even
slightly against their requests, to suffer physically.
"Lamezia Hospital needs a police post 24-7".
Procopio was allegedly assaulted by a patient's relative who
took out a concealed cosh and hit him on the back after he told
them the woman was fine to go home.
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