The regional secretary of Public Health and the Public Health System, Isaura Navarro, visited Xaló today, monday January 27. A visit that local residents have used to deliver the nearly 1,000 signatures they have collected, asking Marina Salud to again have two doctors in the Centre de Salut, the village medical centre.
Recently, one of the two family doctors at the Health Centre retired. However, the company has not replaced the doctor. Instead, we have one full-time doctor and one that only spends a few hours consulting. “This situation is intolerable because the full-time doctor is currently responsible for 1,765 SIPs, which exceeds the maximum recommended by the Ministry of Health, and is further aggravated by the fact that more than 50% of these people are over 55 years of age, who often need more medical attention,” said Isaura Navarro.
As soon as she arrived in Xaló she had a meeting with the Mayor, Joan Miquel Garcés, and the health councillor, Lara Avellà, to get to know the situation first hand. Then she also visited the Health Centre.
The lack of doctors has led to primary-care appointments being given for two weeks’ time. The Public Health Secretary stated “We can’t have the situation that when there is sick leave or a doctor substitution, the concessionary company does not cover them; the Generalitat pays per inhabitant the same amount that the public health costs us, therefore it has to give the same quality service and that is not happening now in Xaló”.
Therefore, after questions from local residents, who filled the events hall at Xaló Town Hall, Isaura Navarro announced that ” We demand that Marina Salud, through the commissioner, bring in another doctor on a full-time basis.”
A petition, supported by the councillor for health Lara Avellà, highlighted “the great mobilization of people to collect signatures, which in only a few days has managed to collect signatures from almost half of the population of Xaló in order for them to have the right to another general practitioner”.
