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Global Health Econ Sustain HCWs and violence in emergency services

grants public administrations the authority to protect initiative aims to counter negative perceptions and
their staff against threats, attacks, outrages, insults, or prejudices held by the public toward HCWs and
defamation while on duty. public hospitals, which often lead to hostile attitudes
Unfortunately, despite these legal provisions, a and behaviors.
concerning trend persists, as illustrated in Figure 7, where iv. Increase the government’s investment in the health-
88% of survey participants express doubt regarding the care sector by augmenting the general budget allocated
efficacy of MCL in deterring aggression toward doctors to the Ministry of Health. This funding would
and nurses. The prosecution of perpetrators of violence facilitate the recruitment of additional HCWs for
must aim to mitigate violence in hospitals, notably in high- public hospitals to address human resource shortages,
stress departments such as emergency units, to ensure as well as the procurement of new medical devices and
the safety of HCWs and to restore dignity, respect, and an adequate supply of medications.
recognition to HCWs. v. Address the issue of long waiting times for specialized
consultation in public hospitals. For instance, scheduling
5. Recommendations a magnetic resonance imaging scan or ophthalmic
consultation can take more than a year, prompting
Several suggestions could be implemented to address the individuals to seek services in the costly private sector.
issue of violence against the HCWs:
i. Increase wages for HCWs to deter them from 6. Conclusion
accepting bribes from patients or their companions.
This immediate action is crucial and should be The limitations of hospitals in Morocco cannot be denied,
undertaken by the government. Furthermore, including a lack of human resources and materials,
stringent punishment should be imposed on any poor management, and the inadequate organization of
HCW caught accepting bribes, in accordance with patients in the emergency departments. This situation is
Articles 248 to 251 of the MCL, which criminalize exacerbated by the absence of reception agents to inform
giving or taking bribes for any reason, particularly in and guide visitors effectively. One viable solution to alleviate
exchange for favors within the hospital (OECD, 2018). congestion in such critical services is the establishment of
ii. Ensures that judges impose severe penalties on a triage unit. This unit could effectively address numerous
individuals found guilty of violence against HCWs, in issues and reduce the unnecessary crowd in this vital service.
accordance with Article 263 of the MCL. This measure A dedicated agent could communicate with patients and
is essential to deter others from engaging in violent their companions, assess the severity of their condition,
behavior toward HCWs. prioritize care, and determine the need for transfer to a
iii. The Ministry of Health should launch a comprehensive higher level of care facility for specialized examination.
campaign through mass and social media platforms Another critical aspect overlooked by the Ministry of
to improve the image of hospitals and HCWs. This Health is the training of HCWs in conflict management
within hospital settings. Such training should be integrated
into the basic training program to equip professionals with
the skills necessary to handle violent patient behavior and
navigate challenging situations effectively. Furthermore,
it is imperative to deploy a unit of police officers adjacent
to emergency departments to enable swift intervention in
cases of violence against HCWs.

While this article has presented the perspective of
HCWs, it is essential to also consider the voices of citizens
and patients who have experienced hospital firsthand.
Their insights are crucial in understanding attitudes and
explanations regarding violence against HCWs. These
perspectives will be the focus of future studies in this area.

Acknowledgments
Our thoughts are directed to Pr. Said Saddiki; we
Figure 7. The proportion of participants expressing confidence in the
criminal law’s ability to protect health-care workers from violence. Most of the acknowledge his positive contribution through his precious
participants have no confidence in the efficacy of the current legal provisions. advice. Our recognition of Pr. Hassan Rhiya for his efforts

Volume 2 Issue 2 (2024) 6 https://doi.org/10.36922/ghes.2015