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The Central Independent Trade Union and Civil Servants (CSIF) has revealed the extent to which health professionals in Malaga are affected by the Covid pandemic and is demanding more protection and reinforcements.

 

Figures released on Monday February 7 show that 4,700 staff at clinics and hospitals in Malaga province have already been infected with the virus since March 2020, and have had to be signed off sick or self-isolate.

 

A large portion of those health workers, in fact 38% (1,809 staff) are employed at Malaga Regional University Hospital.

 

The President of CSIF Andalusia, Germán Girela, visited the regional hospital on Monday, where he blasted the "complicated situation" the health system has endured over last two years, and continues to do so.

 

"The difficulties that Andalusian public health staff are facing and the complicated care situation that currently exists has meant services were closed at the beginning of the pandemic and have never been recovered, such as the emergency service of the Civil Hospital, which was taken over by the Regional Hospital in March 2020 and has never been restored."

 

The union has launched a petition calling for the reopening of the Emergency Department of the Civil Hospital, which it argues will "finally correct the permanent saturation of A&E at the regional hospital, increases in delays for patients, as well as the overwhelming situation professionals are having to work in," added Girela.

 

But hospital management paints a different picture, disputing data provided by CSIF on the emergency service and claiming that in 2021 "the average number of emergencies attended in this centre was 400 per day, lower than in 2019 when there were more than 600 per day".

 

In addition, they assured that as a result of the reform and expansion of the service and Covid reinforcements, "the overall staffing of the service has increased by 25%, improving both the care and the employment situation of professionals".

 

You might like: The most deaths in a single day in almost a year: Andalusia Covid update February 8

 

However, the union has countered these claims, arguing the regional government's reinforcement plan for primary care "once again puts the burden on the backs of already exhausted professionals":

 

"Without providing financial or human resources, the government wants to fix a primary care service that is bleeding profusely," blasted the union president.

 

Among its main demands, CSIF wants the Andalusian health administration to adopt the necessary measures, such as the provision of masks FFP2 or FFP3, "to preserve the safety and health of public medical professionals".

 

In addition, the union is calling for essential staff reinforcements necessary to deal with the overload and the new tasks and pressures brought about by the pandemic.

 

Finally, CSIF this week also highlighted the problem of verbal and physical aggression that occurs "daily" in health centres and hospitals, which much of the time goes unreported "due to a lack of time and workload".

 

According to Girela, several serious attacks have taken place in Malaga since the beginning of 2022.

 

These include assaults at the Las Lagunas Mijas Health Centre; the Regional Hospital; Coín Health Centre; and Torremolinos Maritime Hospital between January 1 and 24.

Image: Archive