Alex Trelinski
A VALENCIA area health centre was forced to shut on Wednesday after several members of staff took ‘sick leave’ following a series of violent attacks on colleagues.
La Coma Health Centre in Paterna was closed by the Ministry of Health with patients being referred to other facilities for at least the rest of the week.
A doctor was attacked by a patient- allegedly brandishing a knife- on Tuesday with the CSIF union describing the ‘current situation of insecurity for staff as intolerable and unbearable’.
Prompt action from medical and security workers brought the situation under control.
The Levante newspaper reported that staff have had to endure bad behaviour, shouting, threats, and even violent threats from some users.
The cumulation of events ending up in Tuesday’s attack led to a flurry of ‘sick leave’ notices due to anxiety and stress that have built up over weeks.
The La Coma facility has two security officers and Policia Local patrols have recently been increased.
The CC OO union said that workers ‘demand to work safely and regret the aggressive behaviour of some people that is harming the population as a whole that needs health care at their nearest centre’.
It’s understood that the Ministry of Health hope to reopen La Coma next week and are advertising for temporary staff to cover the sick leave that has been taken by permanent workers.
The Valencia College of Physicians say that that were 25 attacks in Valencia province medical facilities in the last year.
“This is an unsustainable figure that, in addition, we know for sure that it does not reflect the actual number, since many aggressions, attacks or threats are not reported out of fear,” a spokesperson said.
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