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Torrevieja hospital is at saturation point in some of its departments, unions claim. Lack of beds, they allege, are why some patients who are critically ill are being cared for in areas designated for emergencies.
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he management of the hospital has acknowledged a high case load but claim that no one is being put at risk as a result of this measure. Hospital unions are claiming that there is a lack of beds in intensive care (ICU) and in some other areas of the hospital. This, they say, has led to people who are considered to be in a critical condition, perhaps after suffering a heart attack, being placed in emergency units. The union claim that this has happened to two patients recently who had both suffered a heart attack. Since this issue was raised unions say that three more beds have been put into service, however, without additional personnel to accompany them. The beds had been out of service due to insufficient equipment for them. Unions argue that ‘seasonal peak’ can no longer be used as an excuse for the saturation point that the hospital has reached. The unions state that when there is a bed
CostaBlancaPeople 27th February - 5th March 2018
Bed shortage at Torrevieja hospital
shortage in the critical unit then patients are transferred to emergency where there is equipment to help resuscitate if necessary. However, they point out, this area is intended for emergency use. In addition, they claim, some patients are experiencing long delays in emergency observation before being allocated a bed. The management of the hospital has accepted that there has been a recent increase in demand during the last few weeks just as there has been in other parts of the province. The number of outbreaks of flu has added to the demand and an increase in the number of respiratory difficulties. They agree that plans have had to be put in place to support the structure and organisation of the UCI department. However, they are keen to confirm that this has no detrimental effect on the patients being cared for. ‘No one has been put at risk,’ they explain. Suzanne O’Connell
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