San Juan collects signatures to denounce shortcomings in the Basic Health Unit

Saint JohnThe Sant Joan Town Council has launched a petition to express residents' dissatisfaction with the operation of the town's Primary Care Unit (UBS). The initiative stems from numerous complaints received by the Town Hall and a meeting with a group of users who described recurring issues over the past few months. The main problem, which was outlined yesterday,Daily of MallorcaThe main issue, according to the petition, is the lack of doctors. But the discontent doesn't stop there: delays in care and appointment scheduling are also being reported, along with difficulties in obtaining continuous medical follow-up due to the constant turnover of healthcare staff. "If a patient needs follow-up, it's not appropriate for them to be seen by a different professional each time," says the Councilor for Health, Bel Morlà. Among the most frequently mentioned problems by users is the fact that appointments are being scheduled for days when there is no doctor or nurse, causing some patients to travel to the center only to be turned away. The petition also highlights "inappropriate treatment" by some professionals and the lack of fixed and stable opening hours at the Primary Care Unit (UBS). Another point that has generated outrage is that, sometimes, the center doesn't open at eight in the morning because the substitute doctor doesn't have the access codes and has to wait for the assistant to arrive. This forces patients to wait outside, and on rainy days, they have to bathe.

Collection until February 28th

Residents of Sant Joan can sign the document until February 28th at the Town Hall and also at the Spar, Coaliment, and Aprop supermarkets. The text aims to document that "Sant Joan has neglected, poor, and low-quality healthcare, with many deficiencies." Although the infrastructure is new, the promoters believe it is not being used properly. The Town Hall also points out that Sant Joan is a municipality with a predominantly large population, which increases the need for a nearby, stable, and accessible healthcare service. The reference health center is in Vilafranca, but the town is not well connected by public transport, which further hinders access to care outside the municipality, especially for the elderly. No response has been received from the Regional Ministry of Health.

City Hall sources explain that they have tried to improve communication with the service, which depends on the Ministry of Health, in order to clearly inform users about what is happening in the unit. However, they say they have received no response. In fact, the petition indicates that both users and the City Council have filed numerous complaints over the past year and have requested explanations from the supervisory team, but far from improving, the service has worsened. Councilor Morlà summarizes one of the most frequent demands: "If they would just tell us 'there will be a doctor on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays,' that would be it. The problem is that there are no fixed hours, and they give you an appointment for tomorrow, and then you find out there's no doctor because they've gone to cover for someone else." In this context, those affected summarize that the lack of stable coverage when the regular doctor is unavailable results in cancellations and a constant change of professionals.