Doctor Le Quang Duong of Thach That General Hospital was injured after being hit by a glass cup in an attack on April 16 (Photo courtesy of the hospital) Hanoi (VNA) - Minister of Health Nguyen ThịKim Tien has sent a document asking the Ministry of Public Security to ensurethe safety of hospitals throughout the country.
The move came after a recent spate of physicalattacks on patients and doctors at hospitals.
The Minister urged the public security ministry toquickly investigate the incidents and punish those who carried out the attacks.
Data from the health ministry revealed that fourattacks reportedly took place in hospitals between April 8 and May 7.
The first case occurred on April 8 in Cai NuocGeneral Hospital in southern Ca Mau province. A group of youngsters holding knivesand scimitars attacked a patient named Nguyen Hoang Linh, leaving him with ahead injury. The group also injured the hospital’s security guard.
The second case happened in Hanoi’s Thach ThatGeneral Hospital when Can Ngoc Giang, father of one-year-old patient Can NgocThanh, threw a cup at a doctor’s head on April 16 because he thought thatdoctors had failed to properly treat his son.
The third case was recorded in Thai Nguyen GeneralHospital in northern Thai Nguyen Province. A patient’s relative repeatedly hita medical staffer, Pham Le Tung, in the face on May 3. Tung was struck while hewas waiting for other medical staff to take a medical stretcher to carry thepatient out to the emergency room. The patient’s relative asked Tung to take thepatient to the room without the stretcher, instead of waiting. Tung said itwould be better to take the patient by the stretcher, then he was hit.
The fourth case happened on early morning May 7. Agroup of 20 youngsters with knives and scimitars cut off the windpipe of apatient who was taken to the Hanoi Medical University Hospital about 20 minutesearlier. The gangsters also used their knives and scimitars to control securityguards and medical staff.
The Minister asked the ministry of public securityto order its unit in localities to closely work with hospitals to quickly fixthe situation.
The police in localities should conduct shorttraining courses for hospital security teams to better deal with physicalattackers as well as instruct hospitals to install equipment to ensuresecurity, she said.
Hotlines of the nearest police stations forhospitals were ordered so that the hospitals could call for immediate supportsin emergency cases, she added.-VNA
VNA
