Doctor assaulted at San Antonio IPS will press charges

Dr. Carlos Santa María has confirmed he will pursue criminal charges after being violently assaulted by a man at the Institute of Social Security (IPS) in San Antonio. The incident occurred last week when the father of a child allegedly destroyed the doctor's office while Santa María was on duty.

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Of course, I will continue with my criminal complaint.

Speaking about the attack, Dr. Santa María firmly stated his intention to continue with the legal complaint. He specifically addressed and denied any suggestion that the assault stemmed from delays in patient care. According to his account, the situation at the time did not involve a backlog of patients; only three individuals were waiting, with expected wait times not exceeding 20 minutes.

Security and admissions staff intervened during the altercation to remove the aggressor. Despite being ejected, the man reportedly attempted to re-enter the office forcefully before national police arrived. Dr. Santa María also emphasized that medical personnel should not be held responsible for systemic deficiencies within the healthcare system, such as shortages of medication or staff.

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Medical personnel are not responsible for the system's deficiencies, such as a lack of medicines or a shortage of on-duty professionals.

He further commented on the misuse of emergency services, noting that some individuals present for non-urgent matters, like requesting prescriptions for chronic conditions or submitting old lab results, contribute to overcrowding. This, he explained, can impede timely care for patients with genuine emergencies. The doctor lamented that such unnecessary visits mix with critical cases, creating confusion and potential delays for those truly in need.

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In social media, we saw that it is being called an apology for attacking the on-duty doctor. Unfortunately, people misuse the emergency services; they go and register to present a lab test from a month ago, to request a prescription, for chronic use medications; that is not for emergencies. People accumulate due to unnecessary consultations and people who truly merit an emergency are mixed among them.