“This is not the worst period of the pandemic because there was more anxiety in the earlier waves, and dread weighs a lot, but what is being experienced today in Primary Care is very difficult,” says Carlos Rodriguez, spokesman for the Medical Union of the Balearic Islands in Pitiusas (Simebal). “We are overwhelmed,” says the doctor, emphasizing that while the omicron version is not as aggressive, the downside is that it saturates Primary Care.
According to Rodrguez, the current challenges caused by the coronavirus’ explosive last wave are “added to the chronic lack” of doctors on the island. He criticizes the time doctors must expend in dealing with bureaucracy as complicating the matter. “First, take care of the ill leaves. If you must sign one for more than seven days, you must consult with the inspector” he claims. “And then they ask us about epidemiological consultations, such as the flu sentinel network, despite the fact that we consider this is a public health concern,” he continues. As a result, the union is urging the Balearic Ministry of Health to relieve doctors of all bureaucracy so that they may focus on patient care.
The doctor who consults in Primary Care ensures that they will not be able to “cover” all of the work that is expected of them, nor will they be able to deal with health prevention, which is an important part of family doctors: diabetes control, routine analysis, attention to obesity…
According to the union’s representative, the health authorities are “misguided,” and the professionals who must deal with them are “weary and fed up.” He criticizes the “lack of assistance” and assures that Ibiza “has the lowest percentage of doctors in relation to the population in Spain.”