JMA: 19 healthcare professionals assaulted since January

Jordan

Published: 2018-06-23 14:55

Last Updated: 2024-03-28 07:10


"I am a medic, who will stitch up my dignity?" (file photo)
"I am a medic, who will stitch up my dignity?" (file photo)

The Jordan Medical Association (JMA) condemned in a statement on Saturday the most recent assault on medical staff in Jordan during which a doctor and a number of nurses were harmed in the department of surgery in Prince Hamza Hospital, located in Amman.

The same hospital witnessed a similar incident two months ago. Medical staff in Jordan have been under a rising threat of being attacked while on duty in recent years, with the JMA now having Dr. Hisham Fityani responsible for dealing with assault cases.

The latest offense, on June 22, comes just days after the attack in Zarqa Government Hospital on the first day of the Eid Al Fitr holiday.

According to Fityani, there have been 19 cases of assault against doctors around the Kingdom since the beginning of the year, and the lastest offense was while the doctor was performing his official duty.

As for 2017, the number of healthcare professionals who were attacked stands at 73.

Fityani called for the increased protection of doctors in hospitals, asserting that the current measures are clearly not enough to deter aggressors, adding that the penalty for such acts should also be toughened.

His words echo the sentiment of President of the Nursing Council, Mohammed Hatamleh, who last September said that the government was negligent of incidents related to the safety of medical staff in Jordan.

Hatamleh statement came in response to the arrest of a nurse in a hospital in Karak after she was hospitalized as a result of a violent attack; the Al Karak Hospital staff went on a strike until the nurse was set free.

On the other hand, the Minister of Health, Dr. Mahmoud Sheyab, also visited the injured medical staff in the hospital on Saturday.

He assured them them that the ministry and and the community as a whole condemned such violent outbursts against doctors, asserting that the ministry will not hesitate to take legal action against the perpetrators.

 

Read more: Jordan cracks down on assault against medical staff