The saturation at the Can Misses Hospital of Ibiza has reached worrying levels in recent weeks, with patients in the emergency department waiting up to three days to be transferred to a bed on the ward. The situation, denounced by patients and workers at the center, has raised concerns about the hospital’s capacity to handle peaks in care during the winter season.
Emergencies at the limit
In recent days, more than 20 patients with admission orders have had to stay in the ER due to the lack of beds available on the ward. According to testimonies of health staff, who have given to Diario de Ibiza, the day of January 3 was especially critical, with the emergency area completely full and patients located in spaces not enabled for long stays. This saturation is attributed to the increase in cases of flu and other respiratory diseases, typical of this time of year, which have significantly increased the influx to the hospital.
The Contingency Plan: Sufficient?
In an attempt to alleviate this situation, the The Health Service has activated a Contingency Plan, which includes measures such as the provision of additional beds and reinforcement of personnel.
However, these actions seem insufficient to relieve the pressure on a hospital that is already operating close to its maximum capacity. Workers at the center have pointed out that the situation is not new and that every year, during the winter months, this collapse of care is repeated, aggravated by the lack of structural and human resources.
Impact on patients and staff
Overcrowding affects not only patients, who must wait for long hours on stretchers or in wheelchairs, but also healthcare personnel, who work under constant pressure to attend to all cases as quickly as possible. Doctors and nurses point out that the lack of beds not only has an impact on patients’ comfort, but also on their safety, as it makes it difficult to provide adequate care in spaces designed for emergencies and not for prolonged hospitalization.
