Three women and two men against two doctors from the Melito medical guard in Naples. The beatings took place inside the assistance center, with kicks, punches and chairs thrown at the health workers. The attackers wanted the two doctors, aged 31 and 38, to visit a relative at home for a few days for the flu: they reacted to their refusal. The five people have been identified. The general management of ASL Napoli 2 Nord expresses “its strongest condemnation and solidarity for the attack suffered”. This is the 56th episode in the Neapolitan area: the 18th in the ASL Naples area. Another case of violence against health workers after the attacks in Foggia that focused media attention on the phenomenon.
The case
The two health workers who were attacked were given a 10-day prognosis. But their attackers fled before a police patrol arrived. However, thanks to the video visible on the cover, the military managed to find the identities of the three women and two men. The most violent was reportedly a 35-year-old man with no criminal record from Melito di Napoli, while the others, reports the Mail“they would have limited themselves to insulting health workers.” The Prefect of Naples, Michele Di Bari, has decided to intensify checks to reach future attackers even more quickly. The Prefect reiterated “the strong commitment of the police to combat the serious phenomenon of violence against health workers, through specific and targeted interventions to increase security and contribute to creating a calm climate in hospitals and clinics and the reception of patients and visitors.”
ASL: “Close to our doctors”
The episode, reports ASL Napoli 2 Nord, “saw the health workers suffer a violent and unjustified aggression from a group of people who attacked them physically and verbally”. An attack “which constitutes an offense not only to the professionals involved, but to the entire community”. The health authority “strongly condemning any form of violence against healthcare workers” has also decided to file a complaint. Director General Mario Iervolino condemns this ferocious gesture: “We are deeply shocked by this act of unprecedented violence. Our health professionals work every day with professionalism to guarantee assistance to citizens. It is unacceptable that they suffer such attacks. It is unacceptable, even more so, that talented young doctors suffer trauma of this type in the manifestation of their professional career. We therefore express our deepest solidarity with the doctors concerned, assuring them of our full support.” Despite this episode, the ASL is committed to “guaranteeing the health of citizens, trusting in the collaboration of all to try to re-establish a peaceful and respectful working environment.”