Page 87 - GHES-2-2

Global Health Econ Sustain

ORIGINAL RESEARCH ARTICLE
Violence against health-care workers in

emergency departments: A study in Fez,
Morocco

Mohammed Kharbouchi* , Mestapha El Azzouzi , Majda Bouchafra ,
Khadija Anouar , and Salah-Eddine Maatouk
Department of Law/Laboratory: Private Law and Development Challenges, Faculty of Legal,
Economic, and Social Sciences, University of Sidi Mohamed Ben Abdellah, Fez, Morocco
(This article belongs to the Special Issue: Occupational Stress and Social Epidemiology)

Abstract

The issue of violence against health-care workers (HCWs) has garnered significant
attention, necessitating urgent resolution due to escalating conflicts between
HCWs and patients or their companions. Addressing this matter is paramount to
mitigate its impact on HCWs and improve the quality of care afforded to citizens.
To identify the underlying causes, particularly within emergency departments, we
conducted a survey involving over 75 doctors and nurses across various hospitals
to collect pertinent data. Our findings indicate that the health system is the major
Academic editor: cause of violence, alongside the awareness of human rights fostered by social media.
Mihajlo Jakovljevic M.D. Ph.D. MAE Furthermore, we conducted an interview with a doctor who has extensive experience
*Corresponding author: working in emergency departments. Through this interview, he elucidated the extent
Mohammed Kharbouchi to which this department poses dangers and the substandard conditions prevalent in
(mohammed.kharbouchi@usmba.
ac.ma) the workplace. This study attempts to contribute scientifically toward finding efficient
solutions, including legal measures, civil society initiatives, and police involvement. It
Citation: Kharbouchi, M., Azzouzi,
M.E., Bouchafra, M., Anouar, K., suggests that reforms may be necessary in the functioning of these departments. This
& Maatouk, S. (2024). Violence aspect represents an unsolved issue warranting further exploration.
against health-care workers in
emergency departments: A study in
Fez, Morocco. Global Health Econ Keywords: Health-care workers; Violence; Emergency departments; Patients; Social
Sustain, 2(2): 2015.
https://doi.org/10.36922/ghes.2015 media; Awareness; Health system; Law
Received: October 11, 2023
Accepted: March 15, 2024
Published Online: May 28, 2024 1. Introduction
Copyright: © 2024 Author(s). Health-care workers (HCWs) often suffer from both verbal and physical violence in
This is an Open-Access article their workplaces (Alycia et al., 2021), a reality also observed among HCWs in Morocco.
distributed under the terms of the
Creative Commons Attribution This distressing situation stems from various causes. First, there exists a prevailing
License, permitting distribution, prejudice among individuals visiting hospitals. Second, there has been an increase in
and reproduction in any medium, awareness of human rights in Morocco, prompting people to assert their right to perfect
provided the original work is
properly cited. care in health-care facilities. Third, the inability of the health system to adapt to this
Publisher’s Note: AccScience increasing awareness exacerbates the issue. Fourth, there persists a constant comparison
Publishing remains neutral with between Morocco and other developed countries, raising questions about disparities
regard to jurisdictional claims in
published maps and institutional in health-care standards. In addition, certain behaviors exhibited by HCWs toward
affiliations. patients and their companions can provoke them, particularly when HCWs are worried

Volume 2 Issue 2 (2024) 1 https://doi.org/10.36922/ghes.2015