Death threats after doctor refuses to prescribe tranquilisers

A MAN who was refused tranquilisers threatened to kill and repeatedly insulted his doctor in Velez-Malaga.
The incident, which took place at the Velez Norte medical centre is becoming more and more common, according to the Medical Union of Malaga (SMM).
Juan Carmona, SMM delegate in Velez-Malaga, said to Spanish national paper El Mundo: “The patient introduced himself and demanded that the doctor, who is also the director of the centre, with more than 20 years of experience behind him, prescribe a series of medicines, these being narcotics and anxiolytics”.
He was trying to take advantage of the fact that his normal family doctor was away. The doctor’s refusal led to the patient issuing death threats and banging the doctor’s table with his fist.
National Police were called but the aggressor had left before they arrived. An official complaint has been made, and the man is due to attend court.
In April a woman was sentenced to four months jail and fined for attacking a nurse – who was kicked in the chest – and a doctor in Velez.
And in Andalucia as a whole there are now three attacks a day on medical staff, according to the SMM, although Carmona thinks the situation is much worse as staff often do not report incidents.