- In a week the number of doctors, nurses and auxiliaries infected by coronavirus increases by over 300 taking the total close to 1,500.
The number of health professionals affected by the coronavirus in the Valencian Community has increased again and is now approaching 1,500.
The figures mean that approximately 17% of those infected by Covid-19 in the Valencian Community, well above the national average of 15%, work either in hospitals or in primary care.
Although the number of medical staff infected in care homes is slightly less, it is still considerable with 13% of the 1,138 total.
However, according to Andrés Cánovas, the secretary general of the Medical Union in the Valencian Community, that the figure could be substantially higher, in excess of 20%, because many health professionals have not yet been tested for Covid-19 and continue to work.
In Spain as a whole, around 25,000 health professionals have been infected, a national average of approximately 15% of all those who currently have the virus in Spain.
Cánovas said that the reason why so many healthcare professionals have been affected by Covid-17, apart from the lack of adequate protective equipment, is because of the large contagion in Alicante, in the San Juan, Elche and especially the General Hospital.
In fact, the Medical Board has already requested the dismissal of the manager of that hospital.
“How is it possible that in the Alicante General Hospital, which doesn’t have half the doctors that La Fe Hospital has, there are twice as many doctors infected with the virus?” He asks.
“It does not make sense that at Alicante General no action was taken despite instructions from the Ministry of Health, as consultations continued as scheduled. It took a week to apply the order by which time it was too late,” said Cánovas.
