«Night patrols to protect colleagues working in the area, in particular in the care continuity stations, the former medical guards». This was announced by the Provincial Order of Doctors of Reggio Calabria after the attack against a female doctor in Cittanova in recent days. «Following the serious episode – it is stated in a press release – the Order has decided on a series of initiatives, including that of starting a constant, but unscheduled, presence of our representatives in the medical emergency offices, especially at night. These will involve inspections and unexpected visits, conceived as a concrete signal of closeness and support to colleagues who work in often difficult conditions and in peripheral territorial contexts”.
«It is a symbolic initiative – stated the president of the Order, Pasquale Veneziano – but also a practical one. We want to make our colleagues feel less alone, especially at a time when the safety of healthcare personnel is put to the test. We cannot replace the competent institutions, but we highlight their absence and the need for urgent and structural interventions.”
According to the secretary of the Order, Marco Tescione, «it is not just a matter of reacting to a single episode, but of strongly reaffirming that the protection of those who care must be an absolute priority. Every attack against a doctor is an attack on the entire healthcare system and the community it serves. We need a collective commitment, which can no longer be postponed, to guarantee safe and respectful working environments.” In the note, the Medical Association also recalls that «in recent months it had already promoted official inspections of the medical guards and made operational proposals to the provincial health authority for the strengthening of safety measures».