Nurses of Pasydy union on Monday condemned the recent verbal and physical attack against an ambulance worker, a day after Pasyno nurses’ union threatened to take legal measures over the incident.

On Saturday evening a patient attempted to strangle a nurse paramedic inside the Limassol accidents and emergency department, while staff were trying to calm him down after he started swearing.

The unacceptable phenomenon of violence against health professionals during the performance of their duties is repeated, Pasydy said.

They also expressed “sympathy and support” for the ambulance service worker who, the union said, “was attacked both verbally and physically”.

Pasydy called on the competent bodies, the health ministry and the state health services organisation Okypy, to protect health professionals since this is not the first violent incident recorded in hospitals.

Following the incident, nurses’ union Pasyno threatened to take legal measures against the ministry of health and Okypy.

“Unfortunately, Okypy is aware of those violent incidents,” Pasyno spokesman Theodoros Petelis told the Cyprus Mail. But it seems the organisation is in denial.

“They do not accept there is a problem. However, hiding everything under the carpet only exaggerates the issue,” he said.

On Sunday, the union slammed the “unacceptable and impermissible” beating up of an ambulance worker in Limassol and called on Health Minister Michalis Hadjipantela to take immediate action to protect all nursing staff.

It said it will meet in the coming week to examine the situation and the possibility of taking legal measures against the ministry and Okypy to ensure safety in the workplace.

“Once again we are witnesses to a member of the nursing staff being beaten up. We believe these acts are unacceptable against staff on duty,” the union said.

We will not tolerate, it added, the continuation of the situation at the expense of our members.

“We call on the minister to proceed with taking immediate measures without delay before we mourn victims. It is not the first time that a member of the nursing staff has been attacked while on duty, and even inside an ambulance,” it said.

Last Monday, a nurse was threatened in the accidents and emergency department in Nicosia, by a patient who was waiting for hours to be admitted. The man started hitting the doors and tried to attack the nurse before she managed to leave the room. The incident took place while there were up to 45 people waiting to be admitted with a delay of up to 12 hours, the Pasyno spokesman said.

The union has called for increased security inside A&E units.