A case of violence against medical workers has been recorded at the Karaganda Regional Children's Hospital.
According to the Telegram channel Polisia.kz, on 12 June, a 38-year-old resident of the region attacked two doctors. The incident occurred during a verbal altercation. The injured medical staff sustained bodily harm.
The suspect was detained at the scene and placed in a temporary detention facility. A criminal case has been opened and a pre-trial investigation is underway.
The police emphasise that violence against medical workers is considered a serious breach of public order and will not go unpunished.
This is not the first case of aggression towards medical workers in the country. In January 2024, 36-year-old Nurbolat Dakebayev beat an ambulance driver in Karaganda. In August of the same year, he was found guilty of deliberately causing moderate harm to health out of hooliganism and sentenced to two years' imprisonment.
In November, an ambulance paramedic from Stepnogorsk, Svetlana Oksyuta, reported an attack on her while on a call. The perpetrators faced no punishment.
Later, in December, it was reported that in Kostanay, ambulance paramedic Anel Baymurzina was beaten while on a call. The medic suffered a concussion and haematomas.
The series of incidents involving medical workers highlights a systemic problem. Doctors and paramedics providing emergency care are becoming targets of aggression while carrying out their professional duties. At the same time, not all cases of attacks result in real punishment for the perpetrators — this creates an atmosphere of impunity and may provoke further incidents.
According to the Ministry of Health, over the past four years there have been more than 150 cases of attacks on ambulance staff. In response, video body cameras for medics — devices featuring a camera, GPS and panic button — are being trialled in Astana and Almaty.