7,773 Healthcare Practitioners Filed Violence Complaints, Report Says

A recent report released by Ankara Chamber of Medicines revealed that 7,773 healthcare practitioners have filed violence complaints to 113, a hot dial number. The report was based on the official complaints received between 14 May 2012 and 30 March 2013.

56 percent of violence complaints were made by women, the report said.

Out of 7,773 complaints, 5,345 were registered as verbal violence compared to 2,428 physical violence. The report also specified that 4,403 complaints were made by medical doctors and 3,370 from other healthcare practitioners. Istanbul topped the list with 1676 complaints, Bayburt remained at the bottom with 5.

Most of the physical violence cases included deadly assaults with a knife or pistol, as well as mob attempts.

Doctors go on strike tomorrow

In a statement, Ankara Chamber of Medicines called Turkey's main healthcare institutions to work together to prevent violence against healthcare practitioners. One of the chamber's demands from the government is the implementation of Anti-Violence Act on Healthcare Practitioners in Turkish Penal Code. 

The chamber declared a one-day strike tomorrow, the first death anniversary of Ersin Arslan - a medical doctor who was killed by violence. (NV)