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Alicante health centres are restricting phone appointments

GVA SALUT+ mobile phone app

Phone medical care was promoted during the pandemic to conduct pre-screenings for coronavirus cases and provide information about the disease. It subsequently became established as a useful tool to expedite consultations that did not require in-person visits and to relieve congestion in overcrowded health centres. However, in recent weeks, some patients have encountered difficulties requesting a telephone appointment through the Ministry of Health’s app, GVA SALUT+, as this option is not available in some health centres, leaving only an in-person choice.

The regional government explains that this is because telephone consultations may experience “long delays” due to congestion, but denies that this option has been eliminated in any health area. In cases where telephone appointments are not available on the app, patients who wish to be seen by their primary care physician by phone must request it directly from the admission staff at their reference health centre, according to healthcare professionals consulted by this newspaper.

Medical sources explain that in some health centres, telephone appointments have been restricted to certain professionals due to their widespread use and the “frequent” lack of response from some patients when the doctor called. This situation especially affects people who study or work outside their city of origin and cannot attend their health centre in person.

Affected People

“I always made a telephone appointment with my doctor. For example, the other day I had a urinary tract infection, and although I was treated at another emergency room, I usually followed up with my doctor so she could prescribe more medication if necessary,” explains O.P., a patient who has been unable to access this option for at least three weeks.

A similar case is that of V.F., who lives outside his city and needed to process a medical leave after suffering a severe blow that landed him in the emergency room. “I had to go to my health centre in person for the appointment with my doctor,” he notes. Despite these testimonies, the Regional Ministry of Health insists that telephone consultations are still available at all health centres and attributes the incidents to “specific technical adjustments to the schedules.” Furthermore, they emphasise that they consider this resource “very valuable” and that they do not intend to eliminate it.

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Differences between in-person and telephone appointments

Regarding the time difference between in-person and telephone appointments, a notable difference can be observed at some health centres in the province. At the San Blas health centre in Alicante, in-person appointments are available same day with several times to choose from, while telephone appointments are delayed by two weeks.

At the Plaza América health centre, also in Alicante, the telephone option with some professionals does not offer appointments, and at the I de Villena health centre, it is not even available. In Elche, at the Doctor Alberto García auxiliary office, appointments by phone are delayed by almost two weeks.

In-Person

It’s worth remembering that the Ministry of Health has prioritised in-person care over telephone calls in the provinces of Alicante, Valencia, and Castellón in the last month, as part of the new scheduling model implemented by the Directorate General of Primary Care. According to doctors consulted, the new schedules limited telephone consultations to a maximum of six per day, which has significantly reduced their availability.


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Costa Blanca

Firefighters extinguish fire in a restaurant in the centre of Murcia

A fire that erupted in the early hours of Friday April 18th was extinguished by the firefighters of Murcia. Sources from the Firefighting Service say that the incident happened at a restaurant located in the heart of Murcia, at Plaza de las Flores.

In the early morning, the kitchen on the first floor of the establishment was the site of a fire that began at approximately 1:00 a.m. and did not result in any injuries.

Thirteen rescuers and three fire engines were dispatched to the location. The personnel successfully extinguished the fire and returned to their base one hour later.

The square was cordoned off by the Murcia Local Police to mitigate potential hazards, according to the same sources.


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Costa Blanca

Two years in prison for smashing a glass in a young man’s face

The Alicante Court has sentenced a 33-year-old man to two years in prison for assaulting another man and causing facial injuries by breaking a glass during a dispute at a nightclub in Aspe.

The defendant, who was 27 years old at the time, arrived at the establishment with three other unidentified individuals at approximately 5:10 a.m. on February 17th, 2019. The altercation ensued within the establishment.

The victim was involved in an incident with the four for reasons that remain unexplained. The defendant struck him in the face with a glass, resulting in a fracture that needed medical attention, and the four individuals who were present at the time began punching and shoving him.

The victim, who was 22 years old at the time of the incident, required 63 days to recuperate from the injuries sustained in the attack, according to the sentence issued by a court in the Tenth Section.

At the commencement of the April 14th hearing, the defendant acknowledged the assault after reaching a resolution with respect to the allegations. Consequently, the sentence determines that he is guilty of the offence of bodily injury with deformity. Consequently, he is sentenced to two years in prison, with the sentence suspended.

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Additionally, the court ruling mandates that the victim be prohibited from approaching within 300 metres for a period of three years and that he be awarded €9,000 in compensation, with the obligation to pay the sum in monthly instalments of €500.


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Costa Blanca

Torrevieja fails to comply with its commitment to open new road at La Hoya for Easter

Eduardo Dolón (PP), the mayor of Torrevieja, announced at the beginning of April that the new Avenida José Carreras in the La Hoya residential area would be open to alleviate some of the traffic flow between the main access and exit road to the city, the CV-905, and the northern part of the town this Easter. However, the mayor’s announcement remains unfulfilled.

In his press conference last Thursday, April 17th , the Councillor for Traffic and Safety, Federico Alarcón, did not provide any explanation regarding the matter. Neither did the government team, even on Instagram, which is typically one of their primary communication channels.

This Easter Sunday, the road is still closed to traffic.

On April 3rd, Dolón responded to media enquiries by stating that municipal technicians and representatives of the developer had conducted numerous meetings to facilitate the opening of the four-lane avenue to traffic, with two lanes in each direction.

Given the significant tourist influx during Easter and the congested CV-95, the opening of this road was considered appropriate. By doing so, it would alleviate the traffic congestion.

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The mayor clarified that the City Council must certify the first phase of the development being constructed, while a provisional acceptance of that section of road will be conducted.

Through the administrative process of reception, technicians verify that the works executed by a developer within an urban development plan that has been authorised by the municipality are in accordance with the project’s investment and on-site characteristics.

Víctor Costa, the Director General of Urban Planning at Torrevieja City Council, is currently responsible for validating receipts. It is crucial to consider the administrative process, as it is exceedingly challenging to hold the developer accountable in the event that the City Council identifies deficiencies subsequent to receipt.

Copyright: Derek Appleton

The avenue is more comprehensive than those implemented in other developments in the area in terms of furniture, signage, safety, pedestrian conditions, and accessibility; it spans over one kilometre and the end of the new road, near the N332 (above) doesn’t look fit for traffic as there appears to be a steep incline making it impossible for the likes of buses to naviagate.

The connection between the CV-905 and the northeast area of the Torrevieja municipality has been closed for just over a year. This closure was due to the construction of the macro-urban development project, which will build 7,500 new residential homes in the sector starting in October 2023. The road, which is commonly referred to as the “swiggly road,” is used daily by hundreds of drivers to traverse the city centre.

This year, the Traffic Department has devised an alternative route that traverses numerous residential areas.

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