Over Two Months Without Dermatologists or Nephrologists at Orihuela Hospital

Two months without dermatologists and nephrologists, with waiting lists for certain specialties such as orthopaedics and traumatology exceeding a year. This is the situation faced by the Orihuela Health Department, according to its staff committee, which includes unions such as CCOO, CEMSAE, CSIF, Intersindical, Satse, and UGT.

The staff reports that the lack of specialist doctors in certain categories is causing these issues, leading to "patients with serious conditions having to be treated in other departments, while others remain in a waiting limbo."

They also warn that rehabilitation consultations have a delay of over a year, as well as the waiting list for patients suffering from chronic pain.

They remind that the hospital is undergoing an expansion project, but argue that "this increase in size is useless if it is not accompanied by solutions to provide the necessary staff now and in the near future when these works are completed."

The staff committee highlights the need for nursing assistants (TCAEs), radiology technicians (TER), porters, and administrative assistants, whose vacancies they claim could be easily filled with personnel from the employment pool for temporary contracts or task accumulation.

"We have been waiting since before Christmas with unfulfilled promises," the unions assert, demanding that the Health Department "take urgent and effective measures" to resolve this issue.