Ministry of Health speaks out about the assault on a medical worker at Nghe An Maternity and Pediatrics Hospital

The health of the medical staff involved in the assault at Nghe An Maternity and Pediatrics Hospital has stabilized; after the incident, the issue of ensuring safety and security in the hospital has been raised again.

Nghe An Obstetrics and Pediatrics Hospital, where the incident occurred. Photo: VNA

On the morning of October 24th, regarding the condition of the victims in the incident where an assailant attacked several people with a knife at Nghe An Obstetrics and Pediatrics Hospital on October 23rd, Dr. Ha Anh Duc, Director of the Department of Medical Examination and Treatment Management ( Ministry of Health ), stated: “As of the morning of October 24th, nurse Nguyen Thi Trang is the most seriously injured victim, with wounds to the carotid and subclavian arteries. However, thanks to timely emergency treatment at Nghe An General Hospital, nurse Trang's health is now stable. The other victims mainly suffered soft tissue injuries.”

Regarding the issue of violence in the hospital environment, according to Mr. Ha Anh Duc, there are many causes. First, from the perspective of healthcare workers, this is an extremely demanding and unique field; with nearly 200 million patient visits per year; and in large hospitals, some hospitals have tens of thousands of patient visits per day. Healthcare workers have to bear a huge and relentless workload, so they are under a lot of pressure. Hospitals are also places that provide services, so healthcare workers must be tactful and trained to explain and behave appropriately; because patients and their families are always anxious when they are sick.

Objective reasons stem from the patients and their families; when medical staff are performing their duty to save lives, assaulting medical personnel is unacceptable. For example, in the recent assault at Thanh Ba Medical Center (Phu Tho), despite being assaulted, the medical staff continued to try to save the patient.

According to Mr. Ha Anh Duc, most of the recent incidents occurred in the Emergency and Intensive Care Units – where patients' lives are threatened. Regarding measures to ensure the safety of medical staff, the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Public Security have had a coordination mechanism for the past 10 years; however, immediate measures have not yet been implemented.

Regarding solutions to ensure hospital safety and security, Mr. Ha Anh Duc stated that measures have been implemented in practice. In terms of security, when problems arise, security personnel must respond immediately. The attitude and demeanor of medical staff also need improvement; especially the increased application of technology helps to better serve patients. Regarding infrastructure, with good investment, patients will have a more comfortable experience when seeking medical care.

From the perspective of the authorities, the Ministry of Health also suggested that agencies need to act more quickly in all cases. For example, in the case at Nghe An Obstetrics and Pediatrics Hospital, the police arrived immediately and the perpetrator was dealt with promptly, which had a significant deterrent effect.

In particular, strong media coverage of these incidents has helped raise public awareness of the issue of violence in healthcare facilities.

“As healthcare professionals, our most important duty is to bring health to patients; therefore, doctors and nurses all wish for patients to recover quickly. Sometimes, under work pressure, healthcare workers may say or explain things inappropriately, and we hope that patients and their families will understand. Healthcare workers also need a safe working environment to be able to wholeheartedly and diligently provide emergency care to patients,” shared Dr. Ha Anh Duc.

According to VNA

Source: https://baohaiphong.vn/bo-y-te-len-tieng-ve-vu-nhan-vien-y-te-bi-hanh-hung-o-benh-vien-san-nhi-nghe-an-524464.html