Doctors in Veneto get whistles

(ANSA) - Venice, May 22 - Doctors, nurses and other medical staff in the northern Veneto region were equipped with whistles on Tuesday in a pilot scheme to prevent attacks.
    The local health authorities launched the project after reported cases of aggression against medical personnel rose from 23 in 2016 to 45 last year.
    These included verbal aggression, pushing and shoving, slapping and punching. Now 200 whistles for attracting attention have been distributed to medical personnel on an experimental basis for 6 months in hospitals, mental health centres, family health centres and other medical facilities in the region. There are approximately 3,000 reported attacks on medical staff in Italy each year, according to the national federation of local health authorities and hospitals Fiaso.