Zero tolerance for abuse of staff in accident wards

SHARJAH // Rude, unruly and threatening behaviour toward staff in accident and emergency wards will not be tolerated, hospital bosses said.

Doctors and nurses working in the emergency unit at Al Qassimi Hospital have seen an increase in verbal abuse and threats made against staff by patients who are unwilling to wait their turn for treatment, often for minor ailments.

“In the past few days, a patient in the emergency room verbally abused a nurse,” said Dr Isam Al Zarouni, head of the emergency and accident department.

“In another incident, a patient argued with a staff member then shoved him. It is not acceptable to insult any doctors, nurses, or any staff member. They are committed to treat every patient that comes in to the department according to the severity of the case.”

Dr Zarouni warned that the hospital will take legal action against anyone who abuses a member of staff.

“We will not tolerate this kind of behaviour and the hospital will escalate any incident to the appropriate authorities to take legal action.”

Al Qassimi Hospital’s new accident and emergency unit was opened at the beginning of this year to cater to patients from Sharjah and the Northern Emirates.

Staff receive an average of 270 cases a day, although a large number of these are not considered emergencies.

“More than 60 per cent of the cases we receive are not considered an emergency. However, we treat them all according to the Canadian Emergency Department Triage and Acuity Scale,” said Dr Zarouni.

He added that patients often did not like to wait in the emergency rooms and insisted on being treated immediately.

“Everyone wants to be treated urgently, but there is a system that staff follow to evaluate the nature of the emergency and severity.” The emergency department has 30 beds and is staffed by 22 doctors and 44 nurses around the clock.

Al Qassimi Hospital is the biggest government hospital in Sharjah. It receives the majority of emergency cases and victims of traffic accidents on roads connecting the Northern Emirates with the rest of the country.