AN AMBULANCE technician has called for crews to receive police escorts when responding to incidents in Benidorm’s ‘English Zone’ after she was punched in the face by a drunk man she was trying to treat.
The worker, identified only as Amaia, was sent to Calle Gerona after emergency services received reports of a man lying unconscious outside a bar.
While her colleague returned to the ambulance to collect a stretcher, Amaia stayed with the patient to assess his condition.
As she tried to help him sit up, he suddenly punched her in the face, leaving her bleeding and suffering a panic attack.
She has not returned to work since the assault.
The alleged attacker was arrested within minutes after Policia Nacional officers, who were already dealing with another incident nearby, stepped in.
Amaia said the attack was not an isolated example of the risks faced by ambulance crews working night shifts in Benidorm.
She claims staff regularly encounter insults, threats and aggressive behaviour while responding to alcohol and drug-related emergencies, particularly during the busy summer season.
The assault happened in the English Zone, the name commonly given to the nightlife district around Calle Gerona and Avenida de Mallorca because of its longstanding popularity among British visitors.
Its concentration of bars, clubs and live entertainment venues makes it one of Benidorm’s busiest areas after dark and, in turn, a frequent destination for police and ambulance call-outs.
Amaia believes crews should not be expected to attend potentially violent incidents there without police support.
Her concerns have been backed by the Central Sindical Obrera (CSO).
Its Marina Baixa representative, Ramon Guirado, said ambulance staff should wait until officers have secured a scene whenever there is a foreseeable risk of aggression.
He also claimed many attacks on emergency workers are often not formally reported, meaning official figures may not reflect the true scale of the problem.
The union says the pressure becomes particularly acute in summer, when the rise in visitors leads to a sharp increase in emergency calls and leaves some crews unable to take their scheduled breaks.
The latest assault comes just months after Policia Nacional arrested 80 people during an operation targeting alleged drug trafficking in bars and nightlife venues in the English Zone.
For the CSO, the case has renewed a broader question over whether ambulance staff should be expected to enter potentially dangerous situations before police have made them safe.
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