Chronic pain has become one of the main silent threats to occupational health in the hotel sector in the Balearic Islands. In an area that supports more than 100,000 direct jobs in high season, the physical demands of many jobs are behind a growing volume of musculoskeletal injuries and sick leave. To address this problem from a scientific and coordinated perspective, the Biotechnological and Biomedical Cluster of the Balearic Islands (BIOIB) has promoted a specific project focused on improving the health of the workforce.
The initiative, financed with 85,087.20 euros from European Next Generation funds, analyzes the real incidence of persistent pain in workers in the sector and questions the effectiveness of current referral and treatment protocols. More than half of the employees admit to suffer ailments related to their activity, a situation especially frequent among floor waitresses, where lumbar, cervical, shoulder and wrist pain is common and, in many cases, becomes chronic, according to Mallorca Diario.
One of the main objectives of the project is to design a new, more agile and coordinated diagnosis and care circuit to reduce chronic injuries and prolonged sick leave. The work has resulted in a white paper with specific proposals, addressed to the Ministries of Health, Tourism and Employment and the agents involved, in order to improve the response of the health system and strengthen prevention in the workplace.
The project’s approach is markedly transversal and involves the participation of clinical specialists, prevention entities, mutual insurance companies and representatives of the hotel sector. Primary care, hospital specialists, Mutua Balear, the Hotel Business Federation of Mallorca and groups such as Las Kellys Mallorca collaborate in the process, ensuring that the solutions are based on real practice and the direct experience of workers.
In addition to the health impact, the initiative seeks to improve the operational stability of hotels and reduce absenteeism, which in the service sector reaches one of the highest levels in the country. The digitalization of the healthcare circuit will speed up diagnoses, improve the monitoring of cases and anticipate risks, incorporating occupational health as a key pillar of tourism sustainability in the Balearic Islands.
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