Estepona doctor attacked by patient’s companion

A doctor from Estepona has been attacked because he could not extend a patient’s sick leave, the SMM trade union in Malaga reports. The doctor was allegedly verbally harassed, insulted, chased and pushed by a patient’s companion. It is a new low in the ongoing wave of attacks on healthcare workers in the province.

Leave certificate

The incident reportedly occurred after the doctor informed the patient that the legal deadline for issuing a retroactive medical leave certificate had passed. Due to the reaction of the patient and the companion, and the tense atmosphere that arose, the doctor alerted the center’s security guard. Despite the presence of the guard, they were unable to calm the woman down or prevent her from following the doctor into an adjacent consultation room.

Labor disputes

“By shouting, hitting and pushing, she managed to force the door open and push the professional,” the SMM said. The SMM therefore demands that the regional health service (SAS) deal with this type of bureaucratic problem through another body that is itself competent to deal with labor disputes with the medical inspectorate.