Worrying lack of doctors leaving departments neglected

TRADE unions and medical professionals complain every summer about the lack of personnel which weakens the quality of services provided.
A lack of replacement for staff members who go on holiday across Malaga province´s hospitals is leaving several departments completely neglected, according to trade unions and workers.
Several programmes, such as the ‘healthy kids’ one which follows the development of babies and children, minor surgery, cytology or tobacco dependency treatments, are closed during the summer period and only resumed by September and sometimes October.
“I have to attend to my own patients, patients of my colleagues who are on holiday and I also try to make room for babies of the ‘healthy kids’ programme,” said one paediatrician: “It is the professionals who end up bearing the weight of the crisis.”
The Andalucian Health Service (SAS) claim that, in the afternoons during the summer season, the request for appointments go down by 85 per cent for paediatrician services and 80 per cent for adults.
Doctors complain that there is also difficulty in hiring new members of staff as many of them have left to work in other communities or abroad.
“No one will be left unattended, but the service will not be as fast and as thorough,” said Head of the Nurses Trade Union, Jose Luis Sanchez.