Following criticism that the Torrevieja health department lacks a summer plan to deal with the increase in patients, the hospital has presented its care coverage plan.
The management detailed that it will reinforce its staff to guarantee 100% care coverage of the population in key services such as emergencies, primary care and hospitalisation, even reaching 60% coverage in External Consultations. The hospitalisation floors, they assure, will remain open at full capacity. In addition, key non-assistance support services will be maintained in person.
To make it possible, the Ministry of Health has resolved to allocate a budget for the 2023 Vacation Plan of €2,847,532.00. The department has the authorisation to cover the vacancies since June 1, so that the replacement of professionals has already begun through the employment exchange.
The number of professionals will also increase in Primary Care. The care strategy for this summer is focused on promoting urgent care throughout the Department with the 24-hour opening of the Continuous Care Points (PAC) in the coastal area. It should be noted that last year, to ease the pressure on the hospital, patients with non-life-threatening injuries were encouraged to go to a PAC in the first instance.
The emergencies of the coastal health centres are reinforced with a doctor in the morning and another in the afternoon, in addition to having planned vacation coverage for medical personnel, as contemplated in the vacation plan presented and approved by the Ministry. In addition, on weekends all PACs will be reinforced with an additional doctor with 12-hour coverage and all health centres will remain open during regular hours. In addition, they will have one more nurse in Guardamar del Segura and Pilar de la Horadada and 2 in La Loma, Torrevieja.
With regard to emergencies, the Ministry details that the necessary coverage of the service resources will be ensured to guarantee correct assistance. In the Emergency Service of the University Hospital of Torrevieja, in accordance with the historical knowledge of the behaviour of the demand (higher on those dates), it will be reinforced if necessary.
