Socialist regional MP, María Ángeles Prieto, has criticised the lack of pediatricians at the La Herradura medical center.
She urged regional Prime Minister, Moreno Bonilla, to find a solution so that families are not forced to travel to receive care for their children in case of an emergency.
“The local children have been left without a paediatrician [covering] every day. There are only two days of care, and it’s not entirely clear which days they are available, and to top it all off, they have limited hours,” Prieto explained outside the centre.
After hearing the complaints from several local mums, the MP criticised the fact that “many families have to go to Almuñécar or even to the Motril Hospital, if the need arises.”
“We have to resort to driving—not everyone has that option—or even taking a taxi. The cost of travelling to and from Motril can be unaffordable for some people due to their financial situation,” she explained.
Regarding care at the La Herradura medical centre, she regretted that parents have to “guess” when their children will get sick to get an appointment days in advance, since under normal conditions it takes a week or more to get one. Not to mention the summer, when it’s “impossible” to get one.
In this context, she stated that, “there is a shortage of paediatricians due to the poor conditions offered by the Andalusian Regional Government. Professionals are leaving for other autonomous communities or the private sector.”
“The Ministry of Health has offered 187 contracts for paediatricians in Primary Care, and only seven have been accepted. Of the 1,515 health centres in Andalusia, only 540 have a pediatrician. In Granada, 13 contracts have been offered for Primary Care paediatricians, but none have been accepted, which shows that poor working conditions are preventing paediatricians from wanting to work in the Andalusian Health Service.”
This situation, in the socialist’s opinion, is absolutely regrettable and inexplicable. The regional government has more money than ever and is not dedicating it to improving public healthcare and, specifically, the lack of paediatric staff in this medical centre,” she stated, criticising the Andalusian ruling conservative (PP) government by stating that “the one who benefits from all this chaos is the private sector.”
(News: Herradura, Costa Tropical, Granada, Andalucia)
Keywords: Medical Centre, Paediatrician, Regional MP, Socialist, Junta de Andalucia, Health Board
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