The Nursing Union, Satse has denounced the "lack of foresight and planning that led to regional health services cutting resources at the beginning of the summer," which they claim is putting Healthcare Professionals in hospitals and health centres under excessive strain in the face of a fifth wave of Covid-19.
Last June, Satse warned that health administrations could not repeat the same mistake every year, of not strengthening staff and services in the summer months and pointed out that the pandemic is still raging in Spain.
”Unfortunately, we now have an increasing number of new Covid-19 infections that need to be treated at health centres and hospitals and Healthcare Professionals are overloaded, exhausted and working in extremely tense conditions,” said Satse.
In addition to caring for Covid-19 patients, Healthcare Professionals also have to care and for those who have other illnesses or health problems.
The Nursing Union claims various health services are taking advantage of the summer to save money, when it was obvious that relaxing the restrictions in Spain would result in an increase in new infections.
"After a year and a half of the pandemic, we regret that once again our public officials have learned little, if anything, and are still not allocating the resources and means necessary for our health system to be prepared for new waves of Covid-19 and it is the patients and health professionals who suffer the tremendous consequences of their poor management and planning,” said Satse. “We hope that what is happening this summer will force them to renew the Covid contracts that were issued at the beginning of the pandemic, which are due to end in the coming months. The number of avalable staff is still absolutely insufficient even with those contracted and the situation would worsen inexorably without them."
Union representatives pointed out that instead of strengthening resources this summer, more than 9,600 beds have been closed, thousands of consultations, diagnostic tests and surgeries have been cancelled at hospitals nationwide and health centres have been either partly or completely closed.
"Holiday contracts have been issued, approving substitutes in various health services for just 30-40 percent of the workforce which means that all the work and responsibility is heaped on to the other 60% during the summer period.”