FREE!
Your English Newspaper
Issue 638
See our advert on p61
south EDITION
06-12 January 2012
Hospital waiting list increases by 126%
Town hall negotiates new water rates It has been announced this week that following negotiations with water company Aguagest, significant savings will be made in the Town Hall’s budget p7
by Louise Clarke
Making travel a pleasure
THE WAITING list for surgery at the Hospital of Torrevieja has increased by 126% compared to a year ago, according to a report issued this week. The report states that the number of patients who are waiting to be operated on stands at 1,450, which is a ‘considerable increase’ on the number reported in January 2011. This situation has in turn brought delays of up to 60 days for surgery, which is well beyond the recommended maximum of 30 days that is required by the Valencian Ministry of Health.
Do you remember the days when going abroad was a pleasure? Well they can be again with Brittany Ferries. p30
Tax allowances to modernise your home in 2012 Find out more information on p27
Costa Blanca Writers Bookcase
SAVE MONEY
The three kings What is the correct bring gifts
The Three Kings
this month we find out about Jill Lanchbery and what she has written p36
pace?
Why do many of us want to complain about the time it takes to play a round of golf? p62
THE TRADITIONAL Three Kings parades, or Cabalgata de Reyes, takes place all over Spain Thursday night (5th January) as it prepares to celebrate the Epiphany on Friday (6th January), which is one of the most religious and well respected holidays in the Spanish calendar. Children all over the Spanish speaking world traditionally meet the three kings, Gaspar, Melchior and Balthazar.
The reason for these delays, according to the report, is purely economic. In October, it was announced that at least five theatres in the hospital would close during the afternoons. At the time the Torrevieja Health UTE, Ribera Health, which runs the hospital, cited economic reasons for the closures and stated that the nurses which were assigned to the surgical block during the afternoons were redeployed in other areas of the hospital, especially to the emergency room, in order to save money on temporary staff. The hospital,
which has around 250 beds, serves more than 180,000 residents from areas that include Torrevieja, Orihuela Costa, Los Montesinos, San Miguel de Salinas, San Fulgencio, Rojales, Pilar de la Horadada, Guardamar and Rojales. CULMINATION A hospital spokesman responded by saying that although there has been an increase in the waiting list at Torrevieja Hospital it is only down to a change in reporting procedures. He said that the increase of patients requiring an anaesthesiologist is the culmination of two lists which were previously unique and as a result, with the addition of both data, there are 479 more patients currently on the waiting list than previously counted and 650 patients are currently waiting for pre-operative appointments; making an annual increase of 126%. FINANCIAL DIFFICULTIES It was also reported in the Spanish press this week that the majority shareholder of Ribera Health, which runs the hospital, is experiencing financial difficulties. Continued on page 3