Doctors warn of increase in attacks on medical staff

PALMA
MIQUEL Lazaro, the head psychiatrist at Son Llatzer hospital, yesterday warned that attacks on staff in and around the hospital “are increasing”. His comments came a day after two staff members had been attacked within the space of 24 hours.

One of the attacks occurred during a staff demo against violence which was being held outside the hospital.
Lazaro said that security should be stepped up as, in his opinion, the existing arrangements “are not good enough”.
He was speaking yesterday at the presentation of the “Third Scientific Conference on Mental Health in Women”.
Also present was the President of the Balearic Medical Society (Simebal), Mario Garcia, who said that if attacks are to be avoided the security in the hospital must be stepped up.

According to Lazaro, what was happening in Son Llatzer hospital “was an absolute outrage”, as there had been three attacks on doctors in 10 days.
He pointed out that it is necessary to dissuade possible agressors who, he commented, were usually relatives of people being attended to by hospital staff. “Another of the problems is the high expectations which some people have, they need to be aware of what to expect from the public health service”, said Lazaro.

He added that the number of intercultural mediators in the hospital needs to be increased. At the moment Son Llatzer has four of the 18 mediators distributed over the region.

Lazaro recognised that the hospital is experiencing an overload and said that “the staff do all they can”. He said he considered that one possible solution to the problems of violence would be to limit access to the hospital.