The “contingency plan” announced by the Río Negro government to address the critical situation of the Pediatrics service at the Pedro Moguillansky hospital in Cipolletti, which last week was left without specialist professionals, did not satisfy the workers, unions and social organizations that require the incorporation of personnel.
Last week coincidentally the only tThree pediatricians who worked in the service took sick leave and that situation ended up collapsing the area that serves girls, boys and adolescents from the Upper West Valley, as a primary hospital.
Health announced that on-call care and consultations are guaranteed. This Monday, Santiago Cayupan, Asspur delegate, in dialogue with BLACK RIVER RADIOpointed out that “The hospitalization was closed last week and the pediatric ward is there, but attended by general practitioners.”
Cayupán reported that since last week Children who require hospitalization are referred to the López Lima hospital in Roca or the Cinco Salto hospital.s, a situation that continues to this day, as the government itself admitted when releasing the “contingency plan” over the weekend.
The critical situation in pediatrics is worsening with a growth in consultations for respiratory diseases that exists today and there is also “lack of inputs”denounced Cayupán who listed that in primary care centers “There are no nebulizers, PAP (airway pressure treatment), bronchodilators, lack of antibiotics, antipyretics“It is very difficult to meet the demand with a flu outbreak affecting the region.”
In parallel to the public demand of the Asspur union, the multi-sector organizations They filed an appeal for protection in the Civil Chamber to demand that the Government and the Ministry of Health incorporate “necessary medical personnel to reestablish the functioning of the pediatric guard and care.”
“It is based on the serious impact on the right to health of the children of our community, due to the suspension of these essential services,” they noted in the presentation.
According to the Asspur delegate, From last year to date, 6 pediatricians from the Cipolletti hospital service resigned and there was a work overload for the three specialists who remain in position but last week they coincided with medical leaves.
He also indicated that There is a flight of professionals to the private sector and to Neuquén due to the salary situation and working conditions.
Public Health at the moment did not respond to the demand to add personnel, it only limited itself to indicating the provisional plan to provide services.
Cayupán said that there are also critical situations in other services at the Pedro Moguillansky hospital, such as in neonatology where a professional will retire mid-year and the “staff is just”; or he also indicated that since intensive care has been closed for a year and the tomograph does not work, so these practices must be referred to the private sector.
