Vietnamese doctors receive martial arts training in wake of attacks

By Le Nga, Le Phuong   April 18, 2018 | 09:59 pm PT
Vietnamese doctors receive martial arts training in wake of attacks
Medical staff attend a martial arts training class at Hung Vuong Hospital in Phu Tho Province. Photo by VnExpress/Le Nga
'Doctors need to fend for themselves, and learning martial arts is one of the best ways to do it.'

Vietnamese hospitals have been hiring extra security guards and organizing martial arts training for doctors in the wake of a series of attacks on medical staff that have made headlines this month and sparked outrage.

Viet Tiep Hospital in Hai Phong has set up police posts and hotlines to deal with any incidents on hospital grounds, said vice director Nguyen Cong Binh.

Doctors have also signed up for communications classes to learn how to de-escalate possible violent situations, he said.

Thong Nhat Hospital in Ho Chi Minh City has installed security cameras, and guards are deployed to individual wards to enhance security, according to a representative. Employees are also undergoing training to dealing with emergency and unwanted situations.

Cho Ray Hospital in the southern metropolis has also instructed doctors and nurses to remain calm with angry patients and their relatives, said director Nguyen Truong Son. The hospital also has over 80 guards on duty.

“We've also started martial arts classes for our staff for self-defense purposes only. They’re also good for the health,” said Son.

Hung Vuong Hospital in the northern province of Phu Tho now holds three martial arts sessions for its employees each week, said Dang Ngoc Ha, head of the Department of Surgery.

“Doctors need to fend for themselves, and learning martial arts is one of the best ways to do it,” said Pham Van Hoc, chairman of the hospital’s management board, adding how staff are faced with constant danger, including the risk of being beaten by their own patients.

The staff said the martial arts club would help them deal with physical confrontations in the hospital.

The latest case of a doctor being assaulted in Vietnam took place last week at Saint Paul's Hospital in Hanoi when Doctor Vu Hong Chien was punched repeatedly in the face by the father of a seven-year-old patient. The incident was captured by security cameras and has made local headlines.

“No matter how badly we are treated, we still want to reach out and help our patients,” Chien told local media on Monday.

On April 8, a similar case occurred at a hospital in Ha Tinh Province in central Vietnam, where a doctor and an intern were assaulted by a young patient’s father. The doctor suffered a fractured skull, while the intern was wounded near the eye, local media reported.

Vietnam’s PM Nguyen Xuan Phuc has demanded the individuals responsible to be prosecuted in accordance with Vietnamese law.

 
 
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