Ambulance workers beaten in gypsy camp
The medics hid in the vehicle which was being vandalized: the shattered splinters injured the 118 driver in the eyes
The operators of an 118 ambulance were attacked last night in the gypsy camp in via Candoni, in Rome.
The health workers had responded to a call, but when they arrived on site they were attacked with sticks. Luckily they had time to lock themselves inside the vehicle while the ambulance was vandalized and the windows were shattered. Some splinters injured the eyes of the driver of the 118 , who was taken to the Oftalmico and then to Sant'Eugenio.
«On behalf of the regional administration I express firm condemnation for the aggression suffered by the 118 crew, to whom we extend all our solidarity and profound gratitude for their daily commitment towards those who suffer. Yesterday was yet another episode of violence against healthcare workers, who now, without interruption, remain victims of violent episodes ", commented the president of the Lazio Region, Francesco Rocca.
«The limit is full and I say it firmly: violence is always unacceptable and the phenomenon is no longer tolerable. To stem it, public safety policies are needed, but also - I underline - a major cultural operation to make people understand that healthcare workers represent an essential public health safeguard , often working in difficult conditions and taking on grueling shifts with a great sense of responsibility. », concluded Rocca.
«This form of violence against those who, every day, work with dedication and sacrifice to try to save human lives is no longer conceivable», underlined the general director of Ares 118, Paola Corradi.
«The eye injuries caused to the rescuer by the glass splinters from the ambulance windshield shattered by the attackers could have had very serious consequences for her sight. We greatly appreciate the numerous demonstrations of solidarity that we receive from the institutional authorities but, at the same time, we believe that we must proceed in the meantime with the launch of concrete and effective measures, such as the official complaint in every situation like this, given that it concerns an attack on a person in charge of public service ", the words of the president of the Italian Society of System 118 (Sis 118), Mario Balzanelli. A guarantee of safety for operators could be ensured, adds the president of Sis 118, by wearing body cams, "small video cameras to be activated on duty in case of intervention in dangerous scenarios and in any case of aggression".
(Unioneonline/D)
