Pisa hospital psychiatric ward incident involving violent patient

A patient caused significant damage and issued death threats at the Psychiatric Diagnosis and Care Service (SPDC) within the Santa Chiara hospital in Pisa on Wednesday, September 23. The individual, who was being transferred from the Volterra REMS, reportedly destroyed furniture and a television while threatening medical staff and other patients.

Police and prison police intervened to restore order. To ensure safety, other patients were temporarily moved to a different sector. The local health authority, Asl Toscana Nord Ovest, is working with the University Hospital of Pisa and judicial authorities to determine the best security measures for staff and patients.

Labor unions and political figures have raised concerns regarding the safety of healthcare workers in the department. They noted that the facility has faced security challenges in the past, including a previous fatal attack on a psychiatrist in April 2023. The incident has highlighted ongoing tensions regarding the management of high-risk patients following the closure of certain psychiatric prisons.