CORFU. The Corfu Psychiatric Sector Union has reported a new serious attack against an employee, stating that a nurse was almost strangled by a patient in a psychosocial rehabilitation unit last week. This incident underscores the ongoing issues of violence and understaffing within the island’s mental health services.
Details of the Attack and Immediate Aftermath
The incident occurred approximately one week ago in an out-of-hospital psychiatric facility. The nurse involved was granted leave due to injuries sustained during the assault, and the patient was subsequently transferred to the Hospital for treatment. Sources from the Clinic have strongly emphasized the critical staff shortages, which severely impede the Hospital’s operations and compromise safety.
The Union has expressed its full support for the injured colleague, wishing her a swift recovery and a quick return to work. They also highlighted that this is not an isolated incident, as similar acts of violence, varying in severity, have been repeatedly recorded in mental health facilities and services in the past.
Systemic Issues and Understaffing
According to the Union’s statement, the inherent nature of work in psychiatric services objectively increases the likelihood of violent behavior from hospitalized patients. However, they stress that it is the responsibility of the State and the administrations to implement all necessary measures to mitigate the risk of such incidents.
The Union attributes the deteriorating situation to severe understaffing within the services. They claim that staffing gaps in the Corfu Psychiatric Sector reach up to 50% according to official organizational charts. They further note that multidisciplinary therapeutic teams are not functionally operational, and some departments are even operating with single shifts, which significantly burdens the facilities and increases risks for both employees and patients.
Impact of Administrative Changes
Particular emphasis was placed on the changes that followed the transfer of psychiatric facilities from general hospitals to the administration of the Regional Health Authority. The Union argues that despite assurances of service upgrades, the situation over the past eighteen months has been characterized by a complete absence of permanent and auxiliary staff recruitments, numerous retirements, and the development of new structures primarily by private entities.
“We refuse to be punching bags in a system that is deliberately failing,” the Union emphatically stated. They are demanding a safe working environment with adequate staffing across all specialties, immediate and mass recruitment to fill organic positions, and the reinstatement of previous provisions that mandated 50% of nursing staff recruitments be male nurses.
Broader Context and Demands
This incident adds to a growing concern regarding the safety and operational efficiency of mental health facilities in Corfu. The repeated calls for improved working conditions and increased staffing levels highlight a systemic problem that requires urgent attention from health authorities. The Union’s demands are clear: a commitment to the well-being of both staff and patients through concrete actions, rather than unfulfilled promises.
The situation in Corfu’s psychiatric sector reflects a broader challenge faced by public health systems in Greece, where financial constraints and bureaucratic hurdles often lead to critical shortages in essential services. Addressing these issues is crucial not only for the safety of healthcare professionals but also for the quality of care provided to vulnerable patients.
The community awaits decisive action from the relevant authorities to ensure that such violent incidents are prevented in the future and that mental health services in Corfu can operate effectively and safely for everyone involved.
Source: https://enimerosi.com/social/107967/nea-kataggelia-gia-epithesi-se-nosileutria-ston-psuxiatriko-tomea-kerkuras
