LA LÍNEA: A TERMINALLY ILL HOSPITAL

“Desde la Plataforma Cívica en Defensa del Hospital y la Salud, denunciamos el mal estado y abandono del hospital linense, incluso en temas de seguridad que puede poner en peligro la integridad de las personas y de producirse incendio estarían en peligro Maternidad, Nido y Área de Pediatría, al ser éstas áreas de la segunda planta las más próximas a esta zona de basuras escondidas y ya viejas donde habitualmente se fuma, se tira basura y cigarrillos al suelo, por donde hay corrientes de aire desde un piso al otro a través de los grandes agujeros del shunt, agujeros que además al ser de fácil acceso y haber puertas que están desmontadas o rotas, podrían ser mortales en el supuesto de que algún niño de pediatría o acompañante de familiares de enfermos se acercase al lugar y cayese hasta el piso inferior. Los cables eléctricos, como se pueden ver en las fotos también está totalmente expuesto con su consecuente peligro y no sólo en la segunda planta, sino también en la 1ª y tercera.”

I received the above press release from J J Uceda raising yet another concern over safety at La Línea’s hospital. It concerns me personally because I have been a patient and am still under the supervision of its specialists. I have had friends and family treated there. Also, although it is the La Línea hospital it serves the community of San Roque, part of Los Barrios, Castellar and my own village, Jimena.

For me a “hospital” is made up of two constituent parts – the building and the people. Whatever refurbishment or touching up is done cannot hide the fact that the fabric of the building is well past its life expectancy – probably because of long term neglect - and the new state-of-the-art hospital for the area can not come soon enough.

Whilst I share the concerns over the management of the hospital by the health authorities I only have praise for the medical staff who have looked after me and others that I know. The fact that they have had to do so in poor and demoralizing conditions is all the more to their credit. The only gripe I have is the lack of specialists over a prolonged period – but the blame lies squarely at the door of the health authority and not with the medical staff.

I did see statistics that showed the La Línea hospital had the highest mortality rate in Andalucía. Part of the blame for that tragic statistic can probably be found in the extreme poverty in parts of the border town. However it is arguable that the poorest town deserves the best medical care – sadly in La Línea that will have to await the new hospital.