The police at the Mondriaan site shortly after the fatal stabbing. — © Track ’88
After the violent death of a nurse two weeks ago at the Mondriaan mental health institution in Heerlen, the NU’91 trade union has called for a work stoppage in healthcare.
NU’91 wants everyone in healthcare to stop work for two minutes next Thursday, May 2, at 2 p.m. and observe silence.
The professional organization is holding the action out of respect for the victim and also wants to draw attention to the increasing aggression towards healthcare providers.
Femke Merel van Kooten, chairman of NU’91: “Our condolences go out to the woman’s relatives. What happened there is terrible, there are no words for it. Someone died at work. A place where she should be safe. How could this go so wrong?”
Big problem
According to the union, violence against healthcare professionals has been a major problem for years. Van Kooten: “We have been saying for so long that safety is the first priority, but in practice this often turns out not to be the case. We hear that the right resources, such as a working alarm button, are lacking. Or that healthcare professionals are not listened to when they indicate that a situation is unsafe. That really needs to change now. How many more victims must there be?”
Also read: Stabbed employee (39) of the Mondriaan mental health institution in Heerlen died: ‘A mother who went to get a sandwich’
Mondriaan’s 39-year-old employee was stabbed on April 15. She died from her injuries on April 23. A 29-year-old woman has been arrested. The victim had treated the suspect in the past.
