The Osasun Bidasoa platform has stated that the situation in the hospital's emergency services and the Continuous Care Point (PAC) at Irun Centro is "very delicate" and faces a real risk of collapse. Doctors from both services warn that staffing levels are "at their limit," and any imbalance could affect the quality of care provided.
"It's not alarmism," assures Manel Ferran, a retired doctor and spokesperson for Osasun Bidasoa. "The situation is very delicate, and any change could lead to a collapse. We're not saying services will close overnight, but we could see the PAC merged with hospital emergencies, or the night emergency shift becoming unstaffable, forcing patients to be diverted to the OSI of Donostialdea," he explains.
Regarding hospital emergencies, heading into summer, "there are fifteen one-month shifts with only one doctor assigned." The minimum requirement is two doctors, as "in certain emergency cases, two doctors must always be involved." It's becoming "common" to have night shifts programmed with a single professional, compelling other staff members to work extra shifts. "Summer holidays reduce the number of available hands," adds a doctor from the service.
Out of 25 emergency physician positions, "3 are currently vacant." With the remaining 22, "we can no longer cover 100% of the shifts." This dynamic is exhausting for the staff, "because we cannot provide care as we should, we cannot work as we want to." Some days, patients wait "three hours in the waiting room," leading "more people to consider leaving the service."
At the Continuous Care Point (PAC) in Irun Centro, five medical-nurse-orderly teams cover weekdays from 5:00 PM to 8:00 AM and weekends and holidays 24 hours a day. However, "Bidasoa's is the only large PAC in Gipuzkoa that does not reinforce the 5:00 PM to 10:00 PM weekday hours." "In some periods, we have an average patient care rate of 6 minutes per patient. That's practically a collapse," warns staff from this service. Three of the five team members are attempting to transfer elsewhere.
Healthcare staff state that "summer holidays, as of today, have not yet been approved; there is no guarantee of how the upcoming months' shifts will be covered." Consequently, they see a "real risk" that OSI Bidasoa "will close the PAC, move the remaining doctors to hospital emergencies, and divert all emergency care there." "But given the situation in the hospital, with few staff and all the cases the PAC handles, it obviously won't function," emphasizes Manel Ferran.
The closure of pediatric emergencies at Bidasoa Hospital over a year ago is cited as a factor that has worsened the situation. This measure impacted general emergencies and the PAC, albeit differently. In the hospital, it created a conflict by forcing professionals who felt unprepared to treat serious pediatric cases, and at the PAC, it led to an increase in pediatric cases, adding to the growing demand for the service.
