The high demand of PCR tests and long queues resulting from it are currently causing a lot of tension at some of the country’s test centres. “Verbal attacks are increasing” and “a new stage has been reached with the physical aggression towards a nurse in our Picken Doheem centre in Ettelbruck”, private laboratory BioneXt’s communication manager said, speaking to our colleagues at RTL 5minutes.
“Despite the announced closure of the Picken Doheem centre in Ettelbruck, a patient wanted to do a PCR test. The nurse in charge explained to the patient, along with three other patients who were in the waiting room, that they had to go to Leudelange for testing. The three other people agreed and left. But this lady refused and started screaming and insulting our colleague”, says Jorris Fitten.
The nurse accompanied the patients to the exit and held open the door with her right arm, when the patient “punched her in the arm”, according to Fitten. “The patient then chased the nurse to the examination room, forcing her to sit down and continued to insult her.”
The assault against the nurse was reported to police.
In a press statement, BioneXt LAB strongly condemned any form of violence against their employees and emphasised that they have operated 24/7 throughout the pandemic to help ease the workload and shorten waiting periods.
“We understand the frustration of certain people who would like to be taken care of as soon as they arrive, but the hostility that certain patients, luckily a minority, display against us makes life difficult for our dedicated and hard-working employees. We can only get out of this crisis in solidarity and by respecting one another,” said the statement.
