New collapse in the Son Espases emergency room: "There are patients who have been waiting for a bed for a week"

PalmThe nursing union Satse has warned of a new "collapse" in the emergency department of Son Espases University Hospital due to a lack of beds and their mismanagement. According to Erlina Vijande, the union's representative at the hospital, who spoke to Europa Press, there are approximately 70 patients in the emergency department waiting to be transferred to a ward, and in the meantime, they are waiting in various makeshift areas. "The collapse has been worsening for the last three days. Some people have been waiting to be transferred to a ward since January 30th," she stated. Throughout Wednesday, Vijande noted, ambulances were even diverted to Son Llàtzer Hospital, given its better situation. This new "collapse," the union representative pointed out, is due not only to the lack of beds but also to their "poor management." "We demand proper bed management and solutions to the problems, because we've been enduring a heavy workload for years, improvising on the fly, and working grueling shifts," he stated.

The hospital solution

Sources at Son Espases Hospital confirmed to Europa Press that there are approximately 70 patients waiting for a bed. The source of this system overload is not the flu or respiratory infections typical of this time of year, but rather a high concentration of chronic patients. These patients, they explained, suffer from complex conditions that require them to spend more time hospitalized, making it difficult to admit new patients. Although this is a problem that cannot be solved overnight, Son Espases is reviewing the patient list with the aim of easing the pressure and freeing up beds to accommodate those who require admission. The hospital is considering the possibility of providing some of these patients with home hospitalization, receiving visits from doctors at home, or transferring them to centers such as San Juan de Dios, the Red Cross, and the General Hospital. They are also considering returning patients who were transferred from hospitals such as those in Inca and Manacor and whose condition has improved sufficiently. In addition, surgeries are being rescheduled.