Hospital protest expected to attract large crowd

For months, members of the public, politicians and even the health workers themselves have been lamenting the problems at Torrevieja hospital since its reversal in October of last year. The hospital is publicly owned but since opening its doors in 2007, had been managed by a private company Ribera Salud. The Valencian government took the decision not to extend the management contract, despite reports that the hospital was running well, had the shortest waiting lists in the region and that Ribera Salud had planned to invest heavily in the wider local health infrastructure. Community action groups and facebook pages were created and many protests were held to try to convince the regional government to leave the hospital running as it was but these were ignored and in October, the running of the hospital was handed back to the Valencian government. Since then, waiting lists have spiralled and reports from within the hospital claim it is bleeding talent. Many health experts have left, not able to cope with the working conditions, which escalates the problem even further.
Members of the public are set to stage a large demonstration this evening (Tuesday, 27th September) in Torrevieja. Under the title “For decent healthcare” `protesters will demand more doctors and nurses and professional management of this busy health service.

Reports on social media claim that patients have had to wait hours on trolleys in corridors before being seen with family members taking sleeping bags to spend the night with loved ones in hospital corridors. One patient, who waited 17 hours in a corridor before being seen, voiced concerns about patient privacy. Reports in August claimed another patient waited 16 hours before being seen in A&E.

Also under scrutiny are waiting lists for procedures such as hip replacements. One patient claimed she has been waiting for a hip replacement for 163 days, despite being told by her surgeon that she would have the surgery within eight weeks. She had all the relevant pre-op tests carried out in May and is still waiting.

Health unions claim that the issue is down to a lack of workers. Spokesperson for health workers union CCOO Rosa Atienzar said, “In the head of hospital management, professionals must be put in place and not people whose only value is having the card of the corresponding political party.”

Several different political parties in the town are supporting the demonstration, putting decent local healthcare above party politics. The Mayor of Torrevieja Eduardo Dolon will also be in attendance, as will Joaquin Albaladejo, member of congress in the Diputación de Alicante. The protest takes place this evening, Tuesday 27th September at 7pm in Torrevieja’s Plaza de la Constitucion outside the ‘prop’ office beside the town hall.

One of the main community action groups, Plataforma “Sanidad Excelente”, also voiced its support for the event after being invited by organisers. The group said “The chaos due to the lack of doctors and nurses in the municipalities of the Department 22 of Health and especially in the Hospital of Torrevieja is the fundamental reason for this necessary call to action. We cannot take it any longer and the time for mobilisation has come.”

Meanwhile, more and more individual stories about how patients and their families have been impacted by the hospital’s reversal to public management are surfacing on Facebook through the page “Afectados por la reversión del Hospital de Torrevieja”. The main concern from the public is that health cuts can kill and the regional government must do better.