2023-09-09 08:00:00
Everything that “does not exist” is what prevails these days in the hallways of hospitals, neighborhood rooms and health centers. public of Río Negro. The deficiencies of the health system are exposed in Río Negro and it is the workers themselves who make it visible, in the midst of a social demand that grows more every day.
Almost two years ago the chapter of the “Covid-19 Health Emergency” was closed, but today there are no indications that this is part of the story. In the main hospitals of Río Negro the emergency continues and is accentuated because there is a lack of medication for chronic and oncological patients, there is a lack of supplies, surgeries are not scheduled and there are no shifts. in various specialties.
Within that combo of deficiencies, The most worrying thing is that there is a shortage of human resources and those who are active feel “overwhelmed.”
There is no official explanation or rationale as to why., it only happens and is communicated to the population through homemade information posters made by the workers themselves, unable to provide answers to users. Officially, silence predominates. Diario RIO NEGRO consulted authorities from the Ministry of Health about this situation, but there were no responses concrete so far.
“There is a lack of supplies, there are no reagents in the laboratory, there is no medication for chronic patients; patients with hypertension or patients with diabetes or any other chronic pathology. They are given two to three pills so that they can return in three days to see if anything else has arrived,” said Patricia Baeza, Asspur delegate at the López Lima Hospital in Roca.
“It is already a situation that cannot be covered up anymore,” The social worker assured RIO NEGRO RADIO from one of the main hospitals in the province.
According to a survey by this mediamedication is missing in all services and locations and this means that more than once not even emergencies can be responded to, less starting new treatments and sustaining chronic ones; such as oncological, neurological and mental health.
Without timely and adequate care, thousands of people are left adrift. This is the case of more than a hundred children with autism and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) who today do not have their therapies in Roca and their mothers struggle to get them.
It is the case of Traumatology patients, who, by not being able to perform surgeries, end up with sequelae due to the delay. “The inconveniences are significant considering that many have fractures that have been developing for several weeks and even months. Among them, defective consolidation, joint stiffness, loss of functionality of the limb that is difficult to recover in its fullness and inability to carry out activities for several months are detected,” specialists from the López Lima service noted. In addition to this, there are also delays in the provision of prostheses.
“In surgeries we have a delay of at least a month and a half, 29 procedures that we are going to have to schedule in the coming weeks; plus those who are going to be added,” explained the specialist.
In Gynecology, a key service due to births and massive demand, there are problems. “There are no medical personnel. There are stress leaves and annual leaves that must be taken (…) There are on-calls that are impossible to cover,” said a doctor in the sector. There is no in-office care and no scheduled gynecological surgeries. Referrals are not received on days when there is no specialist on duty. The “highest category” obstetrics service today is supported by three gynecologists.
Demand in hospitals increases due to the economic and social crisis. They assure that The population cannot afford a prepaid payment or pay a premium in the private sector. From Viedma, they explained that there has also been an increase in the number of births in recent times, due to the additional cost required by private clinics even for social work affiliates.
The situation reported by the workers makes it difficult today to guarantee even emergencies, due to the lack of basic supplies. The last adjustment variable, emergencies, are also in the balance.
What answers do you offer to the community when you have nothing, you don’t have basic meditation, you don’t have basic supplies? (…) It is very difficult to be at the forefront of health care”
Patricia Baeza, Social Service worker at the López Lima de Roca Hospital and Asspur delegate
Why are there no surgeries?
Since August 7, the Río Negro Anesthesiology Association (ARAAR) has been in force measures due to the delay in the payment of fees by the Ministry of Health. Only one operating room is enabled in Roca, restricting surgeries for four weeks and delaying the appointments of patients who need surgery from across the province.
“Only urgent and emergency surgeries will be performed until reestablish the operation of the Anesthesiology service and the normal provision of surgical resources,” reads a note given by the head of the Surgery service to the management of the Roca hospital.
There is only one anesthesiologist available per day for all surgical services by a measure of strength in that sector. Added to this is the “irregular provision of surgical supplies and resources.” For this reason, they are forced to suspend the activity of scheduled surgeries and scheduled outpatient appointments. Only postoperative and oncological cases are considered.
“Given the lack of human and/or surgical resources in urgent and emergency situations, the Immediate referral of the patient to other institutions in order to safeguard the lives of the patients.”sentenced.
UPCN Regina hospital delegates assured that noor surgeries have been scheduled for two months and still there are difficulties in guaranteeing emergency interventions. “There is a lack of basic medication for sedation, gloves, both, syringes,” they explained.
“Exodus” in Bariloche
And The problem that worries the Ramón Carrillo hospital in Bariloche is the exodus of professionals and the lack of income in the Surgery residency, which had no applicants; added to the current situation of the service. “In the residency there are professionals who are about to finish and there are surgeons who are going to retire. There are casualties and Health does not fill the vacancies,” said Alicia Santibañez, general secretary of Asspur.
In turn, the Lack of professionals in hospitals in the Southern region means that doctors from Bariloche have to travel to cover the guards at Pilcaniyeu, Jacobacci and other towns.
Queues and “coleros” in Cipolletti
In it Pedro Moguillanski Hospital in Cipolletti, the most requested services and with fewer shifts are Ophthalmology, Pediatrics, Dentistry and Diagnostic Imaging.
Cecilia Chavero, Asspurr representative, said that there are lines at night to get appointments. “There is no relationship between the number of shifts that are given and the demand that exists,” he explained. Many patients are left waiting for medical attention. Faced with this problem, some users turn to “coleros” to get appointments and wait in line at the hospital.
“Emptying” in Viedma
From the provincial capital, the Artémides Zatti hospital has shortcomings due to a lack of personnel and medicines. Marisa Albano, member of Asspur, commented that from the Nursing Department They formalized “an act” in which they disclaimed responsibility for the situation.
“On-call shifts are covered with two nurses, with 20 to 32 patients, when a minimum of six is recommended”
Marisa Albano, delegate of Asspur Hospital Zatti de Viedma
For Albano, the hospital situation is “tremendous” and He speaks “of emptying,” as well as “risk” for the community and workers.
50% do not receive a bonus: a pile of union claims
In addition to the dramatic situation for users, the health workers began to mobilize after 53% of the plant was left out of the bonus payment compensatory for the devaluation (60,000 pesos in two installments) for having salaries equal to or greater than 400,000 pesos, considering the payment of overtime and guards. Mostly these are the personnel included in Laws 1904 and 1844.
ATE launched forceful measures for next Tuesday for “decent wages and elimination of the ceiling for the fixed sum.” They ask that the bonus be universal and reach all workers, not just those who earn up to $400,000. Since last Thursday, service assemblies have been held.
“The majority of workers who earn more than 400,000 pesos do so with an extraordinary effort of overtime and guard duty due to the lack of personnel and poor public health services in Rio Negro.
Rodrigo Vicente, general secretary of ATE Río Negro
In Roca, yesterday Friday the Provincial Congress of Asspur met with delegates from 20 hospitals and several complaints regarding salaries and working conditions.
In Regina, workers gathered at UPCN listed one by one all the shortcomings recorded in the different services and declared themselves in a state of permanent mobilization and alert.
- 5.400.000
- pesos is the budget of the Regina hospital; but 20,000,000 would be needed to operate, according to UPCN.
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