(ANSA) - ROME, NOV 12 - A Calabrian ER chief who was coshed by a patient's relative Monday night said Tuesday he and his staff could no longer work in peace and a constant police presence was needed to stave off such assaults.
    "We have reached an extreme point where the doctor no longer has the freedom, peacefully, to decide on the therapy, on the care of a patient," said the head doctor of the Emergency Department of Lamezia Terme, Rosario Procopio, who was attacked last night and returned to work today.
    "We are practically harassed every day both by the patients themselves but also by their families on what we should do, on what tests to request, when to discharge and if to discharge.
    "It is no longer possible to accept a situation of this type because we cannot work in peace and then we risk, if we are even slightly against their requests, to suffer physically.
    "Lamezia Hospital needs a police post 24-7".
    Procopio was allegedly assaulted by a patient's relative who took out a concealed cosh and hit him on the back after he told them the woman was fine to go home. (ANSA).