Leave the doctor with confidence, not pain.

SKĐS - In the context of ongoing violence and assault against healthcare workers in some areas, building a safe and humane environment for medical examination and treatment is becoming an urgent requirement.

Professor Phan Van Tuong – Permanent Vice President and General Secretary of the Vietnam Private Medical Practice Association, Chairman of the Scientific Council of the Institute for Training and Development of Healthcare Management Personnel, and former Director of the Institute for Training and Development of Healthcare Management Personnel – shared his concerns about the alarming reality of recent assaults on healthcare workers.

Violence against healthcare workers is becoming increasingly serious.

According to Professor Phan Van Tuong, recently, assaults on medical staff have tended to increase and become more complex, with many incidents occurring right in the emergency room – a space that should ideally be the most strictly protected.

He argued that this is a serious issue, threatening not only the lives, health, and reputation of medical professionals but also disrupting security and order at healthcare facilities. This behavior goes against ethics, the tradition of respecting doctors, and the tireless efforts of the medical team.

The image shows a nurse at Vung Tau General Hospital being assaulted by a patient's family member. Photo: Nam Thuong.

According to him, violence against healthcare workers stems from many sources. First, it comes from patients and their relatives; panic and frustration due to illness, long waiting times, or a lack of understanding of medical procedures and professional limitations are factors that easily incite aggressive behavior. In addition, the culture of conduct and respect for the law among a segment of the population remains limited.

On the healthcare system side, hospital overcrowding increases workload pressure, leading to communication lapses or delays in care, causing misunderstandings for patients. Some facilities also lack effective response procedures in case of security incidents.

In particular, according to Professor Phan Van Tuong, the legal handling of cases involving assaults on doctors and medical staff is sometimes not strong enough or timely, reducing the deterrent effect on offenders. "Some cases have not been handled promptly according to the law, including the prosecution of criminal responsibility," he emphasized.

Violence against healthcare workers profoundly impacts morale and the quality of treatment.

Professor Phan Van Tuong believes that acts of violence against healthcare workers not only leave physical injuries but also severely affect the morale of the medical staff. "Fear and insecurity cause many healthcare workers to lose motivation to work; some even avoid difficult cases or limit communication with patients," he said.

This has a direct impact on the quality of medical care – when doctors work under stress, they are more prone to making mistakes and find it difficult to fully dedicate themselves to their patients.

According to Professor Phan Van Tuong, in the private healthcare sector, thanks to their smaller scale and professional service procedures, low overcrowding rates, and generally better-invested security systems, violence is less common. However, serious incidents still occur when patients or their families lose emotional control, especially in cases of medical malpractice.

He argued that private establishments need to proactively invest in security systems, train professional security personnel, and coordinate closely with local police in emergency situations.

What solutions are needed?

In light of this alarming situation, Professor Phan Van Tuong has put forward several specific recommendations as follows:

Improving the legal framework: Assaulting medical staff should be considered an act of resisting a public official, and should be dealt with severely to provide sufficient deterrence.

Enhanced security coordination: We request that the Ministry of Public Security direct local police to coordinate and provide timely support in the event of incidents at hospitals, especially in the emergency department.

Establishing a "security red alert" procedure: This helps healthcare facilities proactively activate a rapid response and protect staff before situations spiral out of control.

Professor Phan Van Tuong – Standing Vice President and General Secretary of the Vietnam Private Medical Practice Association, Chairman of the Scientific Council of the Institute for Training and Development of Healthcare Management Personnel, former Director of the Institute for Training and Development of Healthcare Management Personnel.

In addition to tightening legal sanctions, Professor Phan Van Tuong believes that soft solutions should be promoted, specifically:

• Training in interpersonal skills: Training healthcare staff on communication, interpersonal skills, explanation, stress management, and handling media/conflict crises; training healthcare area managers on media crisis management; training security personnel on protection skills, appropriate suppression, and coordination with healthcare staff.
• Communication: Strengthen communication and education for the community on the Law on Medical Examination and Treatment (rights and responsibilities of patients), objective risks in medicine, and respect for medical practitioners; Develop a campaign "Safe Hospital, Respect for Doctors" to change social perceptions.
• Strengthening social workers: Adding social workers to emergency areas to provide psychological support, explanations, and act as a liaison between healthcare workers and patients' relatives.

"I have always believed that 'quality and safety are the foundation of humanity,' therefore, patients and their families should trust, share, and respect the silent sacrifices of the medical team. Because a safe environment for medical examination and treatment is a prerequisite for doctors and nurses to do their best to save lives. Let's leave the medical staff with hope instead of violence at the hospital gates."

Regarding the medical staff, they should continue to improve their medical ethics, professional skills, and especially their communication and interpersonal skills, putting themselves in the patient's shoes to understand their needs. At the same time, they need to boldly speak up and protect their legitimate rights within the framework of the law. Furthermore, medical staff need to shift their mindset from passively providing services to actively providing services focused on the patient/targeted group.

When healthcare professionals truly put patients at the center, using their satisfaction as a measure of service quality, the medical sector will increasingly move closer to the goal of "comprehensive, professional, and humane care." This is also the path to restoring and strengthening society's trust in doctors – the "white-coated soldiers" who silently preserve life and hope for the community," said Professor Phan Van Tuong.

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Source: https://suckhoedoisong.vn/hay-de-lai-cho-thay-thuoc-niem-tin-dung-de-lai-noi-dau-169251103142323636.htm