HOSPITAL COSTA DEL SOL TO INCREASE SUMMER SERVICES

The Costa del Sol hospital in Marbella will be increasing its services this summer, unlike many other hospitals in the region which reduce services to a minimum because of staff holidays. The hospital management is aware that the population of Marbella increases considerably between July and September, and 1.4 million euros are to be spent on ensuring adequate medical attention. 1.2 million euros will be to cover the cost of substitutes for staff who are on holiday, and the remainder will be for additional staff for the Emergency Department. The hospital is expected to attend to more than 73,000 outpatients over the summer and to carry out 3,300 operations, which will be 600 more than in 2006.

PRIVATE HEALTH INSURANCE BILOWING MORE POPULAR

Although Spain is alleged to be one of the EU countries with the shortest hospital waiting lists, at least 13% of people in Malaga province took out a private health insurance last year - and the insurance companies fully expect the number to grow. The private clinics boast that their waiting lists are practically non-existent. According to figures compiled by ICEA, which does research for the pension funds and insurance companies, people have to wait 45 days after they make an appointment to see a specialist in Malaga province - three days more than the average for the rest of Andalucia. Malaga also lags behind when t comes to getting the results of tests - 21 days as opposed to 20 in the rest of the region. However, private insurance is slightly cheaper in the province - 555 euros a year as opposed to the national average of 568 euros.

ANAESTHETIST JAILED

Anaesthetist Juan Maeso, 65, who has hepatitis C, was sentenced last week to nearly 2,000 years in prison for infecting hundreds of patients with the virus. He had infected 275 people between 1988 and 1997, by injecting himself with a morphine syringe before using the rest on a patient. Four of them have since died. Valencia's Provincial Court sentenced Mr Maeso, who is a morphine addict, to 1,933 years in jail but the most he can serve under Spanish law is 20 years. He was also ordered to 150,000 euros to each of the families of the four people who died.

MEDICINAL PLANT EXHIBITION IN COIN

An exhibition of medicinal and aromatic plants is currently on show in the Santa María de la Encarnación convent in Coín until Friday, May 18th. The collector who has provided the specimens, François-Luc Gauthier, will give a talk about the plants and their uses at 6 pm on Wednesday, May 16th. The exhibition is open from 10 am to 1 pm and from 6 to 8 pm.

BRITISH TO RECRUIT ANDALUCIAN DOCTORS

Edition: 325

The British government is hoping to recruit doctors from Andalucía to work in the Health Service, under an agreement signed between the Health Ministers of both countries at the beginning of 2001. The agreement is the first of its type in Europe, and is aimed at making it easier for medical staff from both countries to relocate to meet demand.

ANTIBIOTICS OVER PRESCRIBED

Edition: 325

One in every three doctors is prescribing antibiotics unnecessarily because of pressure from patients, according to a report carried out by the Consumers and Users Organisation (OCU). The result of this misuse of antibiotics is said to be counterproductive, as in Spain levels of bacteria resistance to drugs are now the highest in Europe. The director general of the OCU says the survey was carried out among 74 doctors surgeries and 98 chemists shops in different towns, and although its results are not applicable to all professionals they give an illustration of the situation and should make those involved in such practices think twice about what they are doing. The report is based on information gathered by investigators who visited doctors and pharmacists, saying they had been suffering from sore throats and high temperatures, which they had treated with paracetamol, but that they now wanted something more effective. If the doctor or pharmacist proved reluctant to give them an antibiotic, the ‘patient’ expressly requested one to bring down their temperature. The investigators found that 54 of the 98 pharmacists gave them antibiotics, 17 of them without asking any questions, and only on 15 occasions did staff ask whether the ‘patient’ suffered from any allergies to medication.

SUSPECT SARS CASE

Edition: 322
Date: 12-05-03

A 36 year old man who was suspected of suffering from the SARS virus was admitted to hospital in Burgos last week but tests have now proved that he does not have the illness. The patient went voluntarily to the hospital because he had returned from Peking on 19th April and he was suffering from symptoms which were similar to those of the virus. This is the fifth suspected case in Spain since the epidemic began, and none has been positive.