The Minister of Health, Azir Aliu, together with the President of the Chamber of Physicians, Kalina Grivcheva Stardellova, today held a press conference on the occasion of the European Day for Awareness against Violence against Healthcare Workers.
"It is essential for the healthcare system that employees feel safe in their workplace, so that they can provide the necessary protection and healthcare to patients. In recent times, the Chamber of Physicians has conducted several studies on this topic and the data show that a proportion of doctors have reported having been exposed to some form of violence in the workplace, while a larger number have been exposed to verbal violence."
"For us as Ministers, it is important that the amendments to the Criminal Code are being successfully implemented, whereby violence against a healthcare worker during the performance of professional duties is considered violence against an official person and constitutes a criminal offense for which a prison sentence is provided," emphasized Minister Aliu.
He added that the Chamber of Physicians has a particularly important role, which actively follows the actions of competent institutions and proposes measures and policies to prevent violence in the health sector. He also recalled that any form of violence against a health worker must be reported immediately, as it is a criminal offense.
