State nurses on Friday condemned bullying of a triage nurse by visitors to Limassol hospital’s accident and emergency department irked by delays in being examined by doctors.
According to the nurses’ branch of the civil servants’ union Pasydy, patients and their companions forced the triage nurse on duty at the A&E to leave work after feeling unable to cope with the “the psychological bullying” he endured over the long waiting time.
“The intense verbal violence, offensive and intimidating behaviour by citizens who were waiting to be examined at the A&E, which resulted in the psychological bullying of the triage nurse, resulted in our colleague not being able to endure the hostile climate created and was forced to leave his post,” the union said in a written statement.
This was not the first time that nursing staff at the Limassol A&E department found themselves exposed to the anger and aggressive behaviour of patients and their companions due to the long wait, the union said.
They called on the state to protect them, and on members of the public to be patient because the employees are not responsible “that the widely advertised Gesy has not solved the problems of public hospitals, but on the contrary, it has caused others, especially on the issue of stripping them of doctors.”
The union said the problems faced by the A&Es were increasing due to the constant flight of state doctors which leads to an increase in the waiting time of patients who, in some cases wait over 24 hours in order to be admitted in the hospital.
“In the meantime, every form of violence against nurses continues leading staff to request transfers from the A&Es to other hospital departments,” the union said.
Nurses’ union Pasyno too condemned the latest incident of violence, saying that workers had no responsibility whatsoever for the delays that are created. “This responsibility lies solely with the (health) ministry and Okypy (state health services organisation).”
Head of state doctors’ union Pasyki, Soteris Koumas said earlier in the week that 20 physicians alone had resigned from the state hospitals’ A&E departments. State doctors blame Okypy for failing to address and prevent the flight of doctors from state hospitals and as a result, more physicians were walking out.
