Protection for hospital staff to be stepped up

Newsdesk TWO of the Medical unions in the Balearics have demanded that the Balearic Government speeds up the provision of security measures in health centres, because of the rise in the cases of physical and verbal attacks on medical staff on the islands during the last few years. Some 80 percent of nurses and 40 percent of doctors have been attacked at some time during their work, according to a national studies cited by the unions. In answer to these demands, Ib-Salut has guarateed that security measures will be started shortly “in the next two or three weeks”. The measures were drawn up during 2005 by a technical commission formed by representatives of the eight branches of Ib-Salut. Among the measures envisaged are the reinforcement of police vigilance in the health centres which have most incidents and the installation of “panic buttons” which would be connected to the nearest police station. According to sources at Ib-Salut, this plan will also establish the extension of some of the measures already in place in some hospitals, such as the security cameras installed in the Accident and Emergency unit in Son Llatzer. Also, it is planned that a psychologist should be employes, specialising in symptoms of posttraumatic agression, exclusively dedicated to treating cases of health worker who have suffered any type of agression in their place of work.