Dvorak: Attacks and Threats against Health-care Workers Totally Unacceptable

Bratislava, 5 January (TASR) - Attacks and threats against health-care workers are totally unacceptable and must be unequivocally condemned, and people who save lives every day deserve not only support but also respect from the state and society, vice-chairman of the parliamentary health-care committee Oskar Dvorak (Progressive Slovakia/PS) stated on Monday in connection with the weekend incident at Ruzinov Hospital. "However, the reality is different. Instead of clearly defending science, the Health Ministry, headed by Kamil Sasko (Voice-SD), tolerates people like [Government Proxy for Investigating COVID-19 Pandemic Management] Peter Kotlar, who relativise medicine, question scientific facts, and downplay the coronavirus pandemic. The result is an atmosphere of mistrust for which government officials bear direct responsibility and which has resulted in hundreds of physical attacks on health-care personnel," Dvorak said in a statement provided to TASR by the PS media department. The MP emphasised that health-care workers must be safe at work, especially at a time when there's an acute shortage of them in Slovakia. Health Minister Kamil Sasko (Voice-SD) also condemned on social media any attacks and violence against doctors, nurses and health-care workers, noting that vulgar language, aggression, threats and physical attacks have no place in any health-care facility. According to him, the task is to provide a safe working environment for them. He said that violent behaviour can't be tolerated and that immediate action must be taken against those who commit it. A patient and his relatives attacked a doctor and a nurse in the accident and emergency ward at Ruzinov Hospital in Bratislava on Saturday, 3 January. The patient was already aggressive when his blood was being taken, yelling at the nurse that she didn't know what she was doing and that it was hurting him. His aggression escalated when the nurse wanted to test him for COVID-19. His wife burst in and also yelled at the doctor and nurse. The patient began threatening to kill the attending medical staff. According to spokesperson for the University Hospital in Bratislava (UNB) Eva Kliska, the attack was thwarted thanks to the rapid intervention of a private security service (SBS) and the police, and the medical staff didn't suffer any physical injuries. The police have charged the man with the crime of making dangerous threats. According to UNB director Alexander Mayer, threatening staff with death has become a common occurrence in recent times. am