At least 22 violence cases in which doctors were attacked by patients and relatives of patients were reported between 2010 and 2017.— Photo thanhnien.vn

HÀ NỘI — Police officers will be mobilised to patrol at general and specialised hospitals at national, city/provincial and town/district levels to ensure security and order.

The moves comes after an agreement was reached yesterday by the health ministry’s Medical Examination and Treatment Department and the public security ministry’s Police Department of Administration and Social Security.

The agreement is part of joint efforts between the healthcare sector and the public security sector in response to recent cases in which medical workers were reportedly assaulted in the workplace by patients and relatives of patients.

Under the agreement, medical facilities are responsible for protecting medical staff and must work with local police and authorities to prevent crimes.

In cases of threats against medical staff, patients and relatives of patients, medical facilities should actively deal with violence and report the assaults to police via hotline 113 and the hotline of local police.

Administration and social security forces must be on duty around the clock to receive violence reports.

Lương Ngọc Khuê, head of Medical Examination and Treatment Department, said the number of assaults in the healthcare sector accounted for a quarter of total workplace violence.

Most of the assaults (80 per cent) occurred at national and provincial hospitals. Up to 85 per cent of the victims were doctors and nurses.

In many cases, medical workers needed medical treatment due to their injuries.

There are many reasons leading to the attacks including abnormal behaviour of people addicted to alcohol, drugs or those suffering from psychological disorders; communication problems between health workers and patients; or work pressure from healthcare staff.

At least 22 violence cases in which doctors were attacked by patients and relatives of patients were reported between 2010 and 2017.

In 2018 alone, there were three serious cases. In the latest case, a doctor at Saint Paul Hospital in Hà Nội sustained multiple injuries to the face while treating a seven-year-old boy. — VNS