Costa Blanca

Alicante health centres are restricting phone appointments

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.

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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Related Topics:Alicante Elche Emergency Health People Province Valencia Villena

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Paraglider injured after bad landing in Parcent, north of Altea

A 38-year-old male sustained injuries yesterday, Saturday April 5th, as a result of an accident that occurred during the landing of a paraglider in the Camí del Barranquet area of Parcent, about 40 kms north of Altea.

The Alicante Provincial Fire Consortium promptly mobilised a rescue helicopter (Alpha 01) and members of the Special Rescue Group (GER) upon receiving the alert.

The victim sustained severe back pain and multiple injuries, according to Consortium sources. In order to continue with his evacuation, it was necessary to conduct a helicopter rescue due to the challenge of accessing the site.

The victim was transported to the San Vicente Fire Station, where he was transported to the Alicante General Hospital for additional medical evaluation and treatment by ambulance.

The emergency teams’ prompt response enabled the safe execution of the rescue, thereby reducing the time necessary for medical assistance to be administered to the injured individual.

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Costa Blanca

El Palmeral Park in Alicante will be closed for a week

El Palmeral Park in Alicante will be closed from Monday, April 7th to Friday, April 11th, Alicante council has announced. Renovation work that has been ongoing for months is being finalised.

In order to finalise all tasks and ensure that the park is prepared for its reopening, they will implement a temporary closure. The council has stated that upon its restoration, a more comprehensive and accessible space will be provided for the enjoyment of all ages.

The works are a component of a project that commenced in 2021, despite the numerous obstacles that have arisen along the way, including changes in the company, deadline extensions, and budget adjustments. However, the conclusion is imminent, and tangible enhancements are imminent.

These are some of the primary new features that are being integrated into the park:

Four expansive facilities that are inclusive, ensuring that all children can participate, irrespective of their capabilities.
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Two new callisthenics spaces have been established to facilitate outdoor training without the necessity of a gym.
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There are five picnic areas, which makes it an excellent option to dine in the park once more.
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The pier, access sites, and roads have been renovated due to their significant deterioration.
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A new water collection and chlorination system has been installed in the canals and lakes, which have been renovated.
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Enhanced verdant spaces, including additional shade and new vegetation.
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All of this was accomplished with an investment of over 800,000 euros in one of the most frequently visited areas in the southern region of the city.

Saturday, April 12th, is the intended date for the reopening. If all proceeds according to plan, El Palmeral Park in Alicante will reopen with all of these improvements completed and accessible to the public.

Therefore, it will be necessary to wait for a few days. However, it is time to revisit this verdant area and uncover a new perspective: one that is more contemporary, more comfortable, and offers a plethora of opportunities for spending the day.

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Man arrested for fraud, document forgery and burglary in Elche

In Elche (Alicante), a 34-year-old man has been apprehended for allegedly destroying the key safe of a tourist flat in order to defraud numerous individuals who were interested in renting it through an advertisement website.

The arrested individual is purported to have forced open the keysafe of the tourist flat in the La Hoya district of Elche in order to enter and change the lock, according to investigative sources. He subsequently posted a fraudulent advertisement on a website, assuming the identity of the owner, and showed the interior to potential clients.

A woman reported that she had booked the vacation rental through the aforementioned listing website and was shown the interior of the house by the alleged proprietor.

When the time came to move in, she paid €1,350. However, the door would not open when she attempted to use the keys. Then, an additional complaint was received from a victim who had reserved the same property through the online portal and had paid a total of €600. They too were unable to gain entry.

The suspect had been previously arrested for the same offences at the same vacation property in La Hoya, for a prior fraud of 3,350 euros, according to police investigations.

The National Police apprehended him for two alleged offences of fraud: falsifying documents and robbery with force, as he presented himself with an identity on each occasion.