North Macedonian Health Minister Azir Aliu, alongside Kalina Grivcheva Stardelova, President of the Medical Chamber, held a press conference today on the occasion of the European Day for Raising Awareness Against Violence Towards Healthcare Workers.
Aliu emphasized that healthcare staff must feel safe in their workplaces to provide adequate care for patients. “Recent surveys by the Medical Chamber show that several doctors have experienced workplace violence, mostly verbal. The Ministry supports amendments to the Criminal Code, which classify violence against healthcare workers during professional duties as violence against an official, punishable by prison,” Aliu said.
Grivcheva Stardelova stated that over 70% of doctors in the country reported experiencing verbal or physical violence at work, according to an anonymous 2023 survey. Approximately 80% of incidents were verbal, and 6.8% physical. “Almost 70% of attacks go unreported. For violence against healthcare workers to be punished, it must be reported. Last year, there were three official reports,” she added.
She highlighted that workers in Emergency Centers and Emergency Medical Services are most exposed, while psychiatrist Prof. Kadri Hadzihamza warned that such attacks lead to severe consequences, including psychological stress, anxiety, and professional burnout.
Minister Aliu announced plans to install “panic buttons” in all healthcare facilities, enabling immediate alerts to authorities in case of attacks. He stressed that a coordinated multidisciplinary approach could raise awareness, enhancing safety for both staff and patients.
Grivcheva Stardelova also emphasized that violence is never an appropriate response to patient dissatisfaction and encouraged the use of institutional complaint mechanisms, including hospital directors, courts, or public prosecution, rather than verbal or physical attacks.
According to the Medical Chamber, there were three official reports of violence against healthcare personnel last year, while the 2023 survey indicated that over 70% of doctors experienced workplace violence, of which 80% was verbal and 7% physical.