ARCHIVED - Medical centres close for the holidays, Camposol surgery remains open

Regional Health Authority have been forced to shut down 19 medical centres until the end of August with some remaining closed into September

The Murcia Regional Health Authority (SMS) have explained the temporary closure of 19 medical facilities and surgeries during the summer, with some having already been closed for some weeks, with reference to the annual lack of health professionals exacerbated by the ongoing COVID situation and the summer holiday season.

Regional Health Manager Francisco Ponce blames the National Government for creating competition between the regional health authorities for qualified staff, while the health care worker unions attribute the problem to regional mismanagement.

Satse union spokesman José Miguel Saorín commented “We lack flexibility. The final job offers came out too late and the offers were made at the end of June, causing many to choose to leave," he says. “The Region of Murcia cannot afford to lose a single professional in the situation of brutal competition that currently exists between regional authorities”.

The Camposol Medical Centre is part of Area 2 of the Murcia Health Service which includes Cartagena and surrounding municipalities, 3 medical centres in this area have closed until August 31, El Escobar which has been closed since July 1 and has a population of 701, San Isidro which has also been closed since July 1 and has a population of 135 and Los Mateos which closed on August 1 and has a population of 2,038.

The President of the Healthcare Users Association, Teresa Martín remarked “When we start looking, we see that several will continue to be closed in September and that others have been closed since July. In addition, some of the centres that are open are operating at half staff levels, which due to lack of doctors is covered for only two days”.

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