Gandia hospital restarts out-patient appointments

OUTPATIENTS' appointments at Gandia hospital started up again on Monday, June 1, but 'not at 100%', according to the area health authority.

Although with a relatively low incidence of Covid-19 – about 250 cases and 19 deaths in total – the Francesc de Borja hospital, which covers La Safor and part of the Vall d'Albaida, has not been providing consultations since March 16, except in very pressing cases such as for oncology and cardiology.

Waiting lists for consultations, X-rays and scans already run into several months, and the decision to axe these altogether seemed at odds with the fact that on the very last working day before lockdown, practically none of the staff or visiting patients wore masks, doctors were attending to appointments without this vital equipment, and the waiting rooms were as crowded as ever with no attempt to separate members of the public.

Gandia hospital says it will be giving 'fewer face-to-face appointments' to 'avoid contagion' and will 'alternate between online and in-person consultations'.

Nobody should go along to the hospital until they have had a call from their consultant, the management says.

It has urged the public to be 'understanding' and 'apologised for any inconvenience'.

Already, however, patients who have been waiting months or even years for appointments and surgery fear an even greater delay, given that consultations and tests are rarely booked for July and no bookings at all are taken for August.