Doctor attacked by patient at Haifa medical center

Bnai Zion director-general Dr. Amnon Rofeh said that management has “zero tolerance” for violence against the medical staff.

By JUDY SIEGEL-ITZKOVICH
A doctor stands with stethoscope in this undated handout photo. (photo credit: REUTERS)
A doctor stands with stethoscope in this undated handout photo.
(photo credit: REUTERS)
A woman doctor in the internal medicine department of Bnei Zion Medical Center in Haifa was attacked on Wednesday by a patient while she was taking a blood sample from his arm.
The patient cursed her, pulled out the needle and threw the plastic tube full of blood at her.
The doctor moved and was not hit by the needle, but the patient ran after her and continued to curse at her.
Security personnel who were called managed to hold him down despite his opposition. The police arrived and arrested the patient.
Bnei Zion director-general Dr. Amnon Rofeh said that management has “zero tolerance” for violence against the medical staff and other hospital workers and hopes the authorities will ensure that the attacker is punished.