COULD HOSPITAL CUTS HAVE COST LIVES?

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In the wake of the Santiago de Compostela train crash, a number of questions have reared their heads, from the actions of the driver and the train company, as well as the glory sought by dignitaries as they compete for the limelight, showing their concern, but one of the biggest questions raised i show budget cuts by the government may have played their part in the tragedy.

Taking to Facebook shortly after the event, a serving police officer posted an update which read, “Mariano Rajoy, Rubalcaba, Barcenas, Matas, Urdangarin, Cospedal, etc … More than 300 volunteer off-duty nurses went to the hospital to help. More than 200 fire fighters worked all night and day to minimize the disaster. More than 500 citizens responded to the call for blood donations for the wounded. It is these people to whom you are going to cut budgets and quality of life to improve the country???? I’m sorry but every day I get more SHAME being part of a country run by INCOMPETENTS!”

The government have issued a statement saying that cuts to the healthcare service have played no part in the conclusion of this disaster, but they are also neglecting the questions that the people in the thick of it had, like why the nearest hospital to those injured could not be used.

There is no question that not enough praise could ever be given to those who did get involved, but a number of unions are now questioning why the emergency coordination teams made the decision to transfer patients to a private facility, rather than the public one which was closest. The Hospital Medico Quirurxico de Conxo was closest to the crash site, had been renovated only a few years ago, and was fully equipped with the latest technology, in its five units and operating theatres, trauma units, surgical wards and more, but the hospital had been closed, due to cuts to the health service. Effectively mothballed, it was capable of opening and operating, with empty beds and staff waiting to offer their help.

The union says the emergency management refused to open the closed down units, deciding instead to transfer the injured to the privately run centro policlínico La Rosaleda, having to almost drive past the Conxo and Provincial hospitals, where there were “highly qualified personnel in the centre, waiting for victims”, almost doubling the transfer time, albeit extending the journey time from 6 minutes to 10. Being that a private hospital was given priority, the question of cost will no doubt be raised by the insurers who will ultimately foot the bill.

Criticism is also being levied towards the emergency coordination centre, even though the incident was of an unprecedented level, unique in so many ways, but claims have been made that it took more than two hours to declare the alert level 2, which would be necessary to mobilise additional support. It took 1 hour and 46 minutes for an on-site control to be established, with the emergency controllers on the ground having to coordinate everything through mobile phones. Two helicopters were mobilized to assist, but for some reason they failed to take off, and there were problems getting generators to the site to enable illumination as the night came in.

President of Galicia, Alberto Núñez Feijóo, summed up the mood from the ground however, saying that “Galicia acted as what it is: a big family”. Continuing, “Solidarity in sorrow and solidarity in action”, before also sharing his praise for the healthcare professionals, emergency personnel, fire fighters and the police.

“In a disaster of this magnitude, you need to activate two types of response: the material and emotional”, the president concluded, “we see this working harmoniously in days when we are in mourning, but also with a feeling of pride for the behaviour of an entire people”.

Filed under: http://www.theleader.info/article/40096/

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