Palma.Medical union SATSE yesterday lodged an official complaint over the decision to reduce the number of hospital beds by 138 and close eight of the 19 operating theatres at Son Espases Hospital for the summer, or possibly longer.
The union has written to the new Balearic Minister for Health and Social Services, Antoni Mesquida, outlining their complaints and warning him of the mounting waiting list.
SATSE claims that the hospital is working at 50 percent of its maximum capacity for two and a half months this summer in order to save money when traditionally, hospital only reduce staff during August when people go on holiday.
SATSE has stressed that the repercussions of this summer slow down are going to be enormous, especially when the waiting list has already tripled over the course of this year.
According to the union, last year the average wait for an operation was 74 days and that there were 14'000 people on the waiting list.
What they want Mesquida to do it publish the latest figures so the general public has an accurate idea of what is really happening to the local health service.
In total, some 300 beds have been closed across the Balearics, something the union claims has never happened before and never for such a long period of time.
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