Nurse assaulted while defending patient at health centre in Agudo, Ciudad Real
A man attacked his mother and a nurse at the health centre in Agudo (Ciudad Real) last Friday. The healthcare professional, with 35 years of experience, filed a complaint and obtained a restraining order.
Nurse assaulted after intervening between man and his mother in Agudo
A routine medical consultation turned into a violent incident last Friday at the health centre in Agudo, in the province of Ciudad Real. According to a complaint filed by the Nursing Union Satse, a nurse was injured after attempting to protect her patient, who was being attacked by her own son.
The incident took place around 11:00 hours. The healthcare professional was attending to the woman when the woman's son arrived—also a patient at the centre—and sat down next to his mother. Tension arose when the nurse reminded the man that he had a pending monthly medication renewal and indicated the date for him to do it. His mother, for her part, suggested that he go to the pharmacy first to request it.
In response to these indications, the man reacted with verbal aggression directed at his mother. The nurse asked him to change his tone. The argument escalated until, suddenly, the attacker insulted his mother and struck her in the head and face with his fist. The woman fell to the ground with injuries to her lip and nose; the man continued kicking her as she remained in a foetal position.
The nurse stepped between them in an attempt to separate the attacker. It was then that the man attacked her as well, with punches and kicks that left her momentarily dazed. The healthcare professional fell onto the consultation table until other people present at the centre managed to restrain the attacker and remove him from the room.
The Guardia Civil attended the scene following the incident. As a consequence of the assault, the nurse has bruises around an eye, chin, collarbone, arms and both legs. The healthcare professional, who has 35 years of experience, stated that this is the first time she has faced an incident of this kind. She filed a formal complaint and requested a restraining order, which was granted to her.
Satse in Ciudad Real expressed its "absolute rejection" of the assault and described it as "intolerable" that healthcare professionals continue to be victims of violence, both physical and verbal, whilst carrying out their work. The union demands that the safety of these workers be guaranteed whilst they provide care to citizens.
Source: ABC