Hospital Wanderer

Since 2004, the number of assaults, rapes and murders reported to the Joint Commission rose steadily, with the greatest number of reports in the last three years. There were 36 incidents nationwide in 2007, 41 in 2008 and 33 in 2009. According to the Joint Commission’s voluntary reporting system, there were 256 assaults, rapes or homicides of patients and visitors at American health centers since 1995, with 110 of those acts occurring after 2007. That number is likely far lower than the actual number of incidents because violence in health settings is often underreported, the group said.

They further said that violence is often perpetrated by staff, visitors, patients and even intruders. What happened on Baltimore hospital wherein the gunman Warren Davis,who reportedly hid inside his mother's room, shot and killed himself and his mother is a perfect example of how violence is growing INSIDE the hospital. I'm talking here all the kinds of violence that were committed; assaults, rapes, homicides and many more.

Hospitals are supposedly one of the institutions and places wherein one could be at peace since healing and cure are happening here. This is where ill and sick people take refuge. However with this growing violence even inside the hospital, the hospital could pose a great threat for patients and even to the men and women in medical scrubs and nursing shoes who are working there. This event will eventually affect the medical world itself.

The proper authorities must make a move before it is too late. Where in the world would people who are sick and ill go if there are no institutions like hospitals? Or where could we find a peaceful place here on earth? Whew!