A nurse dispatched to help two people hurt in a bicycle crash yesterday ended up being threatened and frightened by a group of "African men, many of whom were drunk", the nurses' union said. 

In a statement, the MUMN slammed police for failing to do their duty and protecting working nurses, and called on the Home Affairs Minister to sort the problem out. 

"Although police were informed beforehand, they were not there when the ambulance arrived in Marsa. The nurse again asked police to intervene but they took 40 minutes to arrive," the union said. 

READ: In 2012, the union had made a similar appeal

The MUMN said that at one point a group men stood up on the ambulance and began "threatening, insulting and using abusive language towards the female nurse and an Italian patient in the ambulance."

They said nurses were constantly facing harassment during their work shifts, most notably when they were dispatched to Paceville.    

"The MUMN calls on the Home Affairs Minister to ensure such situations are addressed, for the sake of nurses as well as citizens who need their assistance on our country's streets."