Assaults against doctors are sometimes the result of the “wrong” way doctors communicate with patients and their families, a top government official said on Sunday. Minister of Health Abdul Latif Wreikat said medical staff should be trained on how to deal with patients and their families to avoid potential misunderstanding and the ensuing tension and violence. He noted that “doctors should treat patients as they treat members of their families”, and realise that people accompanying them are under stress and must be addressed properly. But Wreikat stressed that the ministry will not abandon its duty to protect medical personnel and will follow legal procedures to ensure that such incidents will not recur. “We will not hesitate to file a lawsuit in case of an assault, in order to get to the bottom of it,” said the minister, adding that “even if a doctor is blamed, he must be punished in accordance with the law”. The minister made his remarks at a press meeting yesterday, during which he briefed the media on the measures adopted by the ministry to prevent assaults against doctors. The ministry will appoint social and psychological counsellors in emergency rooms, and will task a high-ranking doctor to oversee this section, since the majority of attacks take place in emergency rooms. “So far, the ministry has filed three lawsuits against citizens who assaulted doctors,” the minister said, adding that in a fourth case, preliminary investigations revealed that the doctor was to blame because he refused to see a patient in critical condition. According to Jordan Medical Association figures, 13 cases of physical assaults against doctors have been recorded since the beginning of the year. Taking stock of medicine Meanwhile, the minister revealed that the full computerisation of the ministry’s drug stocks will be finalised before the end of this week. “The computerisation of the stores will save us between JD10 million and JD15 million every year,” the minister told reporters, adding that a daily report will be submitted to him showing the amount of dispensed medicine and the remaining quantities. The minister also said that there is no shortage of medicine in any of the ministry’s warehouse, countering some media reports to the contrary. The ministry is coordinating with the concerned parties to ensure that all guest workers are medically insured as part of their contracts, the minister said. “Usually employers do not cover medical expenses of guest workers. In case they get sick or are injured, the employers often send them to the ministry’s hospitals and refuse to pay for their treatment,” he explained. The health coverage should be secured by insurance companies, said the minister, adding that the cost of conducting hepatitis and tuberculosis tests is JD65, and the ministry charges foreign workers JD20 only. “We contemplate increasing the fees to cover part of the cost,” Wreikat said.