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ALMERIA | Area Emergency Observation, saturated
Three days in the hospital corridors awaiting Torrec?rdenas bed
Beds stacked in the hallways invading observation room. | EM
The hospital says there is no problem
Torrec?rdenas physicians argue that occurs every week
Observation up to three days waiting for a bed
Miguel Cabrera | Almer?a
Updated Wednesday 16/02/2011 13:48 hours
Hospital patients reach Almer?a Torrec?rdenas spend up to three days in the observation area on the ground waiting for a bed due to saturation of the center in these days of winter.
Optional Center and the Medical Association have assured that it is common ELMUNDO.es this circumstance occurs, at least every week, so it is not strange to the professionals.
The problem occurs mainly in patients admitted to comment Friday, as during the weekends are on the ground and, therefore, if there are no free beds patients are forced to wait until Monday . Speak medical protocols, however, that the ideal is that no patient remains under observation of emergency for more than 24 hours.
"In Torrec?rdenas are accustomed to dealing with these situations, in which patients remain up to 72 hours without being able to enter plant. It is commonplace, especially in these cold winter days , when the number of people admitted for chronic diseases , which must remain at least a few days in the hospital and reduce the number of beds on the ground, "said Francisco Durban, CEO of the Medical Association in Torrec?rdenas.
Observing the funnel
From there to the Emergency Observation patients who need help must wait much longer than desirable, causing a "funnel" in the area , as recognized by one of its workers.
The most serious situation experienced by older patients, since, like other patients, are isolated from their families and only allowed two visits of one hour each day. Logically, many of the older admitted suffer much more than other patients having to remain in this condition in the hospital, because they suffer from problems of disorientation, even distress and anxiety.
The lack of beds and increased Torrec?rdenas patients in the ER and observation these days also causes a repetition of images that the school management had promised to banish: the patients on stretchers in the hallways , which, as confirmed professionals and the Medical Association, also occurs frequently in recent weeks.
Last weekend, without going any further, accumulated a number of patients under observation such that the row of stretchers came to the door , says Francisco Durban, and more than half of patients had to wait in the corridors of service.
This was despite the fact that the hospital had enabled an alternative room Observation with eight more beds. "To meet with patients in the hallways also is common and is something which should be controlled, but fortunately it is a continuing situation," qualifies Durban.
"The problem is that the hospital outgrew 20 years ago, about the time it was built, since it is obvious that Almer?a need a center with many more beds," says the CEO of the Medical Association in Torrec?rdenas.
'No problem'
Torrec?rdenas hospital officials have denied the allegation of the Medical Association and emergency workers to this day and stated that "there is no problem in this area."
"There stretchers in the hallways," said a spokesman for the hospital exhaustively, who said the center has opened the high attendance plan since before Christmas, although so far only been necessary to open the "Observation Room B ER to situations of saturation, on rare occasions. " The fact that the flu has not affected with a vengeance this year is still one of the causes of this "peace", according to the hospital.