The attacks include a near riot last Wednesday when health personnel were punched and injured by a mob.
The mob was led by relatives of a 23-year-old woman from the nearby town of Cerignola who died during surgery after being involved in a car accident some weeks before.
“If we continue like this, we’ll end up closing the emergency department because we won’t have any doctors, nurses or health workers left,” Director Giuseppe Pasqualone told a press conference.
“My appeal is that the staff on duty are respected because they are good, and the national level data shows it.
“Foggia polyclinic is among the best hospitals in Italy.
“We are working in difficult conditions in the emergency room, the staff level has been halved.
“Citizens who arrive in non-serious conditions have to wait; they have to be patient.”
The events in Foggia are part of a series of acts of violence on health professionals in Italy.
The spate has led to the national guild of doctors calling for the army to be drafted in to ensure the safety of hospital staff.
ANSA
