The coincidence at this time of influenza A and B, Covid and bronchiolitis is placing maximum stress on Valencian hospitals. Up to 60 patients in the ER waiting for a bed at the General de Valencia (on Wednesday there were 78), the need to put two beds in some rooms of the Faith, suspensions of non-urgent surgeries in Manises or the 450 Emergencies attended per day in Alzira are a good example of the situation in most Valencian hospitals.
The Ministry of Health recognizes The vanguard that the fact that the peak of infections of both the flu and bronchiolitis has been brought forward – together with the fact that there are not so many prevention measures due to Covid – is increasing income, generating “at specific moments assistance peaks”.
Situation
The Ministry of Health admits “at specific moments care peaks”
However, the same sources point out that this viral coincidence that is not exclusive to the Valencian Community and has a differential fact in our autonomy and is the increase of 1,700 structural jobs this year (an increase of 12%) or the fact of not closing extrahospital emergencies.
In this sense, the Minister of Health, Miguel Mínguez, assured this Thursday that if there is a “worsening” of the care pressure due to the confluence of the flu, the Covid and the respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) “it will be evaluated” if It is necessary to put reinforcements and the measures “that are necessary” will be adopted.
“Attendance is guaranteed”
The minister rules out that the use of tents is necessary to assume the increase in patients
At this time, the health manager of the Valencian Executive ruled out that the use of tents is necessary to assume the increase in patients and assured that health care “is guaranteed” and the people who go to the hospital “have the correct care, the difference is who do not have the hospitalization field, but are in observation units”.
From the Ministry they insisted that the different hospitals were responding to each situation with their contingency plans.
However, the Nursing Union of the Valencian Community (SATSE), which recognizes this increase in the workforce that the Department is talking about, points out that this is not enough and points out that this year reinforcements for the campaigns of the Valencian Community have not been announced. flu.
Statement from the La Fe Personnel Board
In this sense, the Staff Board of Hospital La Fe -where all the unions are represented- approved on Wednesday mobilizations before “the daily saturation of services, especially: Emergencies, URPA (Post Anesthetic Recovery Unit) and UTM (Unit of the movement)”.
Thus, the worst situation is in the General with up to 60 patients in the ER waiting to have a bed, according to the data provided to this newspaper by CCOO-PV. The same union explains that an average of 200 patients are being treated at the Sagunto Hospital, when the normal number is 150, so the “care pressure is great” and the hospital “is at maximum occupancy.” Meanwhile, in Alzira that average rises to 450 daily cases treated in the ER in a space that they consider too small. For this reason, they ask that new spaces be adapted in this center that provides care to 250,000 inhabitants. In Alzira on Thursday there were 16 admissions to the ER waiting to go up to the floor.
The numbers
Alzira treats a daily average of 450 cases in the ER and Sagunto, 200
The situation seems less overwhelmed in Alicante. Despite this, the Hospital de San Juan began with 18 patients in the ER without a bed on the floor and the entire Pre-Admission Unit full.
For its part, UGT-PV explains that in Peset the ER is saturated with a 20-hour wait and in the Clinic occupancy is 100%. The union says that on Wednesday there were two floors in Manises with doubled beds (the rooms designed for people with functional diversity, which are larger, were also doubled in La Fe) and non-urgent surgeries had to be suspended. Also in Elda, adds UGT-PV, they were preparing to double the individual rooms.
Carlos Mazón (PP) denounces the “absolute collapse” of Valencian hospitals
The president of the Valencian PP, Carlos Mazón, took advantage yesterday to denounce the “absolute collapse” that the health departments of the Valencian Community are experiencing at the gates of the Christmas holidays, in addition to criticizing that “the Generalitat is saying that it is going to start think about the Christmas (sanitary) plan ten days after Christmas Eve”. “It’s one of the most regrettable phrases I’ve ever heard.”
This was stated after meeting with representatives of the Valencian Community Nursing Union at its headquarters. Currently, the increase in respiratory diseases is stressing the Emergency Department of Valencian hospitals, while the Ministry of Health has convened a sectoral table on December 23 to negotiate the implementation of labor and health system improvements.