Marciano Gómez, Minister of Health, pledged yesterday, Monday September 15th, to continue seeking “stable solutions” to Torrevieja’s “intense demographic growth” and to improve the quality of life for its residents by increasing resources, both in terms of infrastructure and personnel, with “study, planning, and rigour,” following a working meeting with the city’s mayor, Eduardo Dolón.
He left details for a future visit, but underlined that the hospital and the La Loma health centre will be expanded further, noting that 5 million euros have already been invested in facility enhancements and extensions.
At this point, he declared that the new outpatient clinic facility will be named Manuel García Gea, the name given to the centre before the reversal.
He also mentioned the increased staffing: “Since we designated this hospital as difficult to fill with the 2024 decree to retain talent, 60 physicians have been hired.” On this issue, the minister reiterated that one of his first and most essential needs is an increase in the number of healthcare staff. “I have constantly requested from the Ministry of Health that the requirements for teaching units be made more flexible in order to train and specialise more residents. “My commitment is there; the Valencian Community will train 15% more residents if the teaching units are made more flexible,” he said.
However, the department’s manager, José Cano, stated that “as in almost all public health services, there is a shortage of dermatologists.” He also mentioned that “we now have a shortage in Urology ,” highlighting the fact that “in virtually all other specialities, we have grown, going from two to three neurologists and from one to six digestive specialists.”
Labour accord
Gómez presided over the signing of a new agreement on conditions for subrogated labour staff at Torrevieja University Hospital, which resulted from dialogue between the regional ministry and the unions to establish a framework that includes improvements in addition to those already agreed upon in 2024. These are subrogated employees of the Ribera concessionaire, which governed the area until November 2021 and has since attempted to negotiate equalisation with statutory employees.
Among the changes is a reduction in annual working hours for morning, afternoon, and night shifts, with special remuneration for the changeover period.
Furthermore, volunteer training hours will be increased from 20 to 28 hours per year, which is recognised as effective working time, as well as salary increases for concepts such as on-call shifts, night shifts, holidays, and shift work, with retroactive effect beginning January 1.
This agreement is part of a process that began with Decree 164/2021, which established personnel subrogation following the termination of the public service concession management contract. “A chaotic reversal that was carried out hastily, without planning, in which ideology prevailed, and which we are correcting to equalise the working conditions of employees and standardise all personnel legal regimes,” the secretary of state explained.
In this regard, Marciano Gómez recalled that in May 2023, the former leaders of the Ministry of Health and workers’ representatives agreed on a set of actions to be executed between 2023 and 2028. However, he emphasised that the agreement remained a mere gesture because it was not formalised and needed the required report from the Ministry of Finance. “Despite this, we consider it appropriate to formalise an agreement, this time fulfilling all the formal requirements for its validity, and we are doing so.”
“Today’s signing symbolises the institutional commitment to job security, equal pay, and the continuous improvement of working conditions , as well as a guarantee of quality care for the citizens of Torrevieja and its health district,” the Minister of Health stated.
Author: Derek Appleton
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