SANTA CRUZ DE TENERIFE 14 Nov. (EUROPA PRESS) –
The Ministry of Health of the Government of the Canary Islands has documented a total of 459 instances of aggression towards health professionals during the first ten months of the year. According to the department, this signifies a “deceleration” of this issue.
This assertion was made by the councillor, Esther Monzón, during a parliamentary committee session in response to an inquiry from ASG. She anticipates that the year will close with a lower increase in relative terms, concluding 2023 with 443 cases, which accounts for 3.01% of the national total.
Monzón expressed her “concern” regarding the incidents of health professionals experiencing aggression in their workplaces. To address this, a record has been established within the General Directorate of Human Resources that categorises all internal communications, whether physical or verbal.
To safeguard the welfare of staff members, she elaborated on the initiatives implemented by her department. Among these is the creation of the Assault Prevention Plan for Health Professionals within the Canarian Health Service, which includes a registry and “risk map” to pinpoint the facilities experiencing the highest number of incidents, thereby facilitating the implementation of specific preventative measures.
Moreover, the collaboration with the Canarian Council of Bar Associations continues, allowing workers to access legal counsel at no cost, enabling them to navigate the legal process “without any additional financial strain.”
She also noted that complaints received are promptly forwarded to the Provincial Prosecutor’s Office, the National Police, as well as the Civil Guard, with ongoing monitoring of all cases undertaken.
Additionally, Monzón mentioned that a course aimed at preventing assaults is currently being developed, with the goal of fostering a “better environment” for care and work within Primary Care, which will see its budget increase by €1.4 million next year.
Jesús Ramos (ASG) remarked that nurses are often the primary targets of such attacks, which also impact all work settings, including hospitals and health centres. He urged that “all” incidents of aggression be reported to formulate a “comprehensive action plan.”
He also called for an increase in the transfer of specialists to the peripheral islands rather than the opposite, as patients frequently arrive “exhausted” from their journeys, leading to disputes that can arise “much more easily.”
