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Costa del Sol |
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Doctors plan strikes in fight to improve the care of patients
• 05 Apr 2007 •
HEALTH SERVICE doctors on the coast have more patients to attend to than their colleagues throughout the rest of Andalucia. On average there are 2,386 patients for every Health Service doctor in Malaga City and the Costa del Sol, whereas their colleagues in Ronda have only 1,879.
The figures, in official Health Service statistics, back up claims by many doctors that they are continually pressured by the number of patients they have to deal with.
Doctors in Granada also feel the pressure with an average of 2,189 on their books, the average throughout Malaga province is 2,142, while throughout the Andalucia region the average patient figure per doctor is approximately 1,900.
In protest at their working conditions, doctors are now planning strike action, including a 24-hour protest next Tuesday by doctors involved in Plataforma 10 Minutos, an organisation dedicated to extending the quality and amount of time dedicated to each patient. They are also planning a 24-hour protest on May 10.
Supporting the action will be the Malaga Health Syndicate, with their official, Rafael Gonzalez, stressing that the high numbers given in the Health Service statistics spell out deficiencies created by doctors having too many patients to handle in too little time.
Carmen Gonzalez Uceda, coordinator of Plataforma 10 Minutos, says that the number of patients should be regulated to ensure that doctors provide a proper service. In addition there should be patient classification based on age, geographical location and the social environment of health care centres.
This would make it possible to ensure “staffing is equal to the demand, with at least 10 minutes dedicated to each patient.”
Commenting on the planned action, Uceda said that “as a result of the political passivity and unfulfilled promises, we are calling a strike for a real improvement of primary attention, so that objectives stated 25 years ago may be realised.”
She also warned strikes would continue throughout 2007 “until we achieve dignified and quality attention.”
As well as the present call for fewer patients per doctor, protestors are also anxious for an immediate halt in the “progressive deterioration” of primary attention, suggesting that more funds for health care centres must be provided “so that in 10 years the actual 15 per cent will increase to 25 per cent.”
A changed prescription format is also being called for to allow more than one medicine on each prescription, in addition to modification of the sick leave system, including reducing bureaucracy.
Doctors also want a withdrawal of indefinite contracts – often referred to as rubbish contracts – as they claim these encourage low wages, thereby forcing many of Andalucia´s doctors to leave the area, as well as reorganisation so that doctors can dedicate time to vocational training. |  Return to Top
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