The lack of doctors in the Community for this summer has forced Health to make decisions such as reducing hours in health centers due to the exceptional situation due to the shortage of doctors. Given the doubts of … In order for the ministry to allow MIRs to work, the department has chosen to comply with the law, and that is, they can provide assistance supervised by a tutor in their own health center or another nearby center, always on a voluntary basis and with a family doctor. in the center, excluding unaccompanied home and emergency assistance.
The Valencian government has provided this vacation plan with a budget of 79.5 million euros, seven million more than last year, but although the places have been created and the money has already been committed, Health does not yet know if it will be able to hire enough doctors for this very particular situation this year, since the MIR will only cover vacation leave on a voluntary basis, and non-EU doctors do not yet have their qualifications approved. Therefore, at the moment there are not enough doctors to fulfill this plan.
That is why Health plans these special measures such as the reduction of hours in health centers that require it, the mobility of doctors within each macro health department, economic incentives especially for those who work in areas with difficult coverage, as well as the expansion of the voluntary period in which professionals will be able to enjoy their vacations until November 30, the ministry reported this Tuesday. In addition, hiring will also be extended until November, which will be used as an incentive to try to attract more staff.
The councilor, Marciano Gómez, warned last week that the lack of doctors puts at risk the opening of 54 auxiliary offices and the staff coverage in 70 health centers in the Community. Health this year is going to open 19 summer auxiliary clinics in the Community to reinforce tourist areas, which are closed during the year and open to provide service to the arrival of visitors, since the population multiplies as they are summer and recreational places. second homes. These are small centers without permanent staff, but during the holidays they have a lot of demand for care.
Turistic zones
Minister Mónica García assumes, and she verbalized this in the last Interterritorial Council of the National Health System on the 5th, that many auxiliary clinics throughout Spain will not be able to open due to lack of personnel due to this problem with the MIR. This may not be so worrying in other regions, but in the Community, which receives tourists, it represents a significant complication, which will increase health pressure in the rest of the open centers and provide a worse service to citizens.
The plan foresees, in principle and always conditional on the availability of personnel, more than 8,600 hires, around a thousand more than last year, an increase that is mainly attributed to the incorporation of the departments of Dénia and Manises to the management. direct public. Where the problem affects the most is in Primary Care, both family doctors and pediatricians, and in hospital emergencies, which are the areas that receive the most substitutes in summer, since the rest of the specialties tend to reduce their activity. The Consell has asked the national Government for two solutions: on the one hand, a special authorization of the MIR by the Ministry of Health, and on the other, for Diana Morant’s Ministry of Science to expedite the process of homologation of Medicine degrees to the non-EU citizens so that they can practice this summer.
The unions regret that they were only informed this Tuesday of the vacation plan, without leaving them the option to negotiate, and only four days before it begins, since it begins this Saturday, June 15. CCOO expresses that Health should have presented this plan sooner and regrets that “the recipe that is applied are measures to continue squeezing a staff that works at 200% throughout the year, instead of betting on the replacement and reinforcement of the templates,” indicates the union. For its part, CSIF highlights “the lack of collaboration from the ministry” and that the department must make “all the necessary effort to guarantee quality care.”
The 70 health centers with coverage problems that Gómez said will remain open, but with fewer staff, and if normally there are, for example, five pediatricians, in the summer there will only be two to care for patients, and likewise The same way it will happen with family doctors. However, since in summer the Primary centers close in the afternoons, this will allow this lack of professionals to not be so dramatic, and another reduction in hours will also be added if necessary. However, Health will carry out reinforcement actions in another 66 health care centers, by increasing staff in health centers, integrated health centers or clinics.
Centers open in summer
In Valencia, during the summer the auxiliary offices of Bellreguart Playa, Daimús Playa de Gandia, Tavernes de la Valldigna Playa, Oliva and Xeraco, Mareny Blau, Palmeretes and Perellonet will open. In addition, it is planned to reinforce the health centers of La Patacona, Port-Saplaya, Playa de la Pobla de Farnals, Puçol, El Puig, Ayora, El Perelló, El Saler, CSI Cullera, Catadau, Piles, Canet d’En Berenguer, Miramar Gandia Beach, Grao de Gandia and Oasis Cullera.
In Castellón it is planned to open the auxiliary offices Benicàssim Atlanta (only in August), Benicàssim-Vila-Real, Oropesa-La Concha, Oropesa-La Marina, Playa de Nules and Playa de la Torre-Almassora. Likewise, it is planned to reinforce care in the health centers of Alcossebre, Benicarló, Vinaròs, Morella, Traiguera, Benicàssim, Burriana, Moncofa, Oropesa, Peñíscola, Montanejos, Almenara, Grau Castellón and Xilxes.
And in Alicante the auxiliary centers of Calp La Fossa, Dénia Les Marines, Xàbia Arenal, Urbanova Alicante and Casa del Mar Santa Pola will open. Health care will be promoted in the following health centers in the province: CSI Campello, Cabo Huertas, Playa de San Juan, Teulada-Moraira, Bolulla, Confrides, Confrides Abdet, Guadalest, Tàrbena, La Nucia, Polop, Cala de La Vila Joiosa , Finestrat, Finestrat La Cala, Cala de Benidorm, Orxeta, Relleu, Sella, Altea, Albufereta, Alfàs del Pi, Almassera de Tonda, Callosa d’en Sarrià, Foietes, Rincón de Loix, Tomás Ortuño, CSI Santa Pola, Santa Pola Gran Alacant, La Marina, Elche Los Arenales, Illa Tabarca, Coveta, Guardamar de Segura, La Loma, Mil Palmeras, Orihuela Costa, Pilar de la Horadada-Torre de la Horadada.
In the Interterritorial to be held next Friday the 14th, the autonomous communities governed by the PP have requested, and it is already officially on the agenda, the appointment of a vice-presidency of this Interterritorial Council because, according to some councilors, as is the case of Aragón, José Luis Bancalero, “the presidency held by Mónica García is not up to what the autonomous communities need today,” he told Europa Press.