04 April
A PARIS hospital has resorted to hiring bodyguards to escort healthcare workers to their cars and the train station after work due to a spike in attempted muggings and attacks during the coronavirus outbreak.
The capital’s iconic station is just 300 meters from the hospital, yet employees do not feel safe enough to make the journey on foot alone between the hours of 6pm and 10pm.
France has 59,105 confirmed cases of the virus and 5,387 deaths have been reported.
The epidemic has given way to a surge in violent incidents against hospital workers.
One hospital nurse told local media: “It’s true that we are often approached for money and things like that.
“We don’t feel safe.”
A bodyguard recently hired by the hospital said he took pride in his work to protect those treating patients during the nationwide coronavirus outbreak.
He said: “They do not come to work to go through this kind of thing after a hard shift.
“It’s a pleasure for us to help others while they work to help the sick.”
A second nurse said: “I think it’s kind of reassuring to have somebody with us.”
One person who claims to live near the hospital said the neighbourhood has quickly descended into a place of chaos and has fallen under the control of drug dealers.
The coronavirus outbreak has put the country’s health system under significant pressure and overwhelmed hospitals in the Paris and eastern regions.
French medics need bodyguards for 300 metre commute after spike in violent attacks
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