In an open letter, the Pancypriot Association of Nurses and Midwives (PA.SY.NM), with the addressees of the Ministers of Health, Labour, Justice, the President and the members of the Parliamentary Health Committee and the State Health Services Organization.
In a letter on "Violence against Health Professionals", the Pancypriot Association of Nurses and Midwives states that "on the occasion of the repeated, unpleasant, unjustified and completely unacceptable attacks on health professionals and especially on nurses, in the state care services (in-hospital and out-of-hospital), PA.SY.NM, expresses in addition to his strong disapproval of these actions, and his intense concerns about their adverse ramifications and effects".
It is pointed out that these events raise huge issues concerning the Ministries of Health, Labour, Justice and Public Order as well as the Cyprus Police and OKYPY.
"On this issue we are returning with a letter for the umpteenth time since 2013, and we would like to emphasize that the State should finally take its measures to protect health professionals, who not only have obligations towards citizens, of patients and their families, but also rights as people and as workers. In the past, we have cited the specific differences in the health sector, especially in first contact areas such as Accident and Emergency Departments, where verbal, psychological and/or physical violence are daily phenomena that negatively affect health professionals", it states.
It is also noted that although the State has established regulations for the management of such issues and some measures have been taken specifically in TAEP, however, these seem to be unsatisfactory.
The open letter states that the World Health Organization (WHO) together with the International Labor Office (ILO), the International Council of Nurses (ICN) and the International Workers' Union (PSI) have prepared a joint document that indicates the actions that need to be taken , both by governments legislatively, and by employers, with the aim of preventing and dealing with such incidents, Preventing violence against health workers (who.int).
It is added that the Cypriot state needs to deal with the issue comprehensively and to legally and practically guarantee the safety of health workers.
"Otherwise, we, as the Professional Association of Nurses and Midwives, must denounce this attitude of the State to all International Bodies (International Labor Office, International Council of Nursing, International Confederation of Midwives) as well as to all European Bodies, without prejudice to all legal rights of appeal also to the institutions of the European Union," the letter concludes.
This letter is also communicated to the Directorate of Nursing Services of the Ministry of Health, the Cyprus Nursing and Midwifery Council, the Pancypriot Union of Nurses PASYNO, the General Nursing Staff PASYDY Branch and the PASYDY Mental Health Nurses Branch.
Source: KYPE
