Army to Guard Hospitals in Italy Amid Surge of Attacks on Medical Staff
The Italian army will begin providing security at a hospital in Calabria following a series of violent attacks on healthcare workers. The incidents have prompted calls for increased protection and measures to address the growing aggression towards medical staff.
| Score | Value |
|---|---|
Scale | 7 |
Novelty | 6 |
Positivity | 3 |
Reliability | 8 |
Actionability | 7 |
Society | 8 |
Journalism | 4 |
Highlights
- The Italian army will start guarding medical staff at a hospital in Calabria from Monday.
- There have been over 16,000 reported cases of physical and verbal assaults on health workers in 2023.
- A significant incident occurred at the Policlinico hospital in Foggia, where a group attacked staff after a patient died during surgery.
- The Italian Federation of Medical-Scientific Societies proposed suspending access to free medical care for three years for anyone who assaults healthcare workers.
- Italy is facing a shortage of about 30,000 doctors in 2023, exacerbated by low wages and high stress in the healthcare system.
Perspectives
- Healthcare unions emphasize the unprecedented levels of aggression faced by medical staff, arguing that military protection is now necessary to ensure their safety in hospitals. [1][3][5]
- There is a push from medical associations for harsher penalties for those who assault healthcare workers, including the suspension of free medical care for offenders. [2][4][6]