LAST Saturday afternoon, my fiancee, who is a staff nurse at Khoo Teck Puat Hospital's cardiac intensive care unit, told a patient's family member not to use his mobile phone within the ICU as it could interfere with the medical equipment.

Though she was polite throughout the encounter, she was subjected to a verbal tirade, including finger pointing, that was vicious enough to reduce her to tears.

Senior nursing staff were called in and, at the end of the incident, not only was there no apology from the family member, but my fiancee was also informed about his feedback and told to understand his situation.

This notion of "the customer is always right" is unacceptable.

I understand that a patient's family has to endure extreme stress and anxiety, but it does not justify verbal abuse of health-care staff.

Health-care workers have the patients' best interests at heart, and this may occasionally be at odds with what is seen as "good" customer service.

As a doctor who has worked in both hospital and primary care settings, I have found that incidents of verbal abuse are not uncommon.

This is most often directed at nursing and auxiliary staff, although doctors are also not spared.

Abusive individuals are usually coaxed rather than warned, thus perpetuating the impression that they can get their way through such deplorable behaviour.

Firmer action needs to be taken against them.

It is essential for public health-care institutions to show unwavering support to all staff who have been verbally abused.

Can the hospital and the Ministry of Health elaborate on what concrete measures are in place to protect staff from abuse? What forms of redress are available to them?

Public health-care staff should not have to suffer in silence.

Zhang Weisheng (Dr)