MULTIMILLION HOSPITAL PLAN
Regional government to spend € 36 million on hospital enlargement
THE regional health department has announced a € 36million plan to meet one of the main demands of the Marina
Baixa area ( which includes popular resorts such as Benidorm, Altea, Alfaz, Finestrat and Villajoyosa): the enlargement and upgrade of the disNew trict hospital in Villajoyosa.
Built in July 1986, the hospital is often at full capacity and the Covid epidemic has stretched it to its limits.
facilities will include a new A& E area, more operating theatres, extra wards and additional ICUs.
WHILE the number of active cases of Covid19 is rising sharply in many areas of Spain – especially Madrid – the figure in the Valencia region has remained stable over the last two weeks.
The regional health department reported on Wednesday that 6,253 people are suffering from coronavirus compared with 6,169 two weeks ago.
The statistics have been boosted by the high number of patients who are making complete recoveries.
On Wednesday regional councillor for health Ana Barceló reported 658 new cases along with 657 recoveries.
Despite this ‘ stability’, the death toll in the region is on the rise once again.
A total of 66 patients have died from Covid19 in the last two weeks in the region – with 14 of the deaths notified on Wednesday.
This takes the total since the pandemic started to 1,609 for the Valencia region.
The figures from the regional health department also show a rise in new cases in Alicante province.
On Wednesday a total of 336 patients were registered in Alicante compared to 283 in Valencia province – which is only the second time that Alicante has recorded more cases than its neighbouring province.
The number of patients in hospitals regionwide remains stable, with a slight rise in Alicante province.
A total of 475 people are
being treated in the region’s hospitals compared to 468 two weeks ago.
Of these, 75 are in intensive care units – up by eight.
While figures are going down in Valencia province, Alicante has seen a rise – with 177 Covid patients now in hospital compared to 159 two weeks ago.
A total of 35 of the Alicante patients are in intensive care units – up from 26 two weeks ago.
Care home deaths
A total of five elderly residents have now died in the outbreak of Covid19 at a Pilar de la Horadada care home, which was first reported at the end of August, according to state news agency EFE.
EFE stated that six other deaths at the home in the last month were not related to the
coronavirus.
The news agency reported that a total of 19 residents at the centre in Torre de la Horadada still have Covid19.
The care home stated that they had been working very closely with the regional health department and the local health centre since the outbreak was discovered, according to EFE.
Towns and cities
Small flareups have been reported this week in different parts of Alicante province.
On Tuesday the health department recorded three cases in Guardamar del Segura of social origin; Orihuela three – social; and Torrevieja three – social.
On Wednesday they notified three in Alcoy ( social); Almoradí four – social; Santa Pola four – school; and Torrevieja five – social.
The largest decrease in active cases in the last two weeks has been in Valencia city, which has been under special measures, with the number down from 1,518 to 935.
Dénia is continuing to reduce its figures – down from 217 two weeks ago to 145 on Wednesday.
Calpe has also seen a reduction – down from 34 to 11, with Jávea down from 68 to 17.
In the south of the province Elche’s cases have doubled in two weeks from 124 to 245; Orihuela’s are up from 81 to 85; Torrevieja’s up from 101 to 106; and Rojales’ up from four to 11.
See Marina Baixa figures in the righthand column.
Four deaths in La Safor
Another four patients in La Safor area have died from Covid19, the first since the end of April.
A Gandíabased man, aged 68, who had been in intensive care for three weeks, and an 83yearold woman who suffered complications, passed away on Saturday and Sunday respectively.
This left just one Covid patient in intensive care, details of whom are not known, who died on Monday. A fourth patient, also not identified at present but one of 16 on mainstream wards, lost their battle to survive on Wednesday.
Recoveries in the past week mean Ador, Almoines, El Real de Gandia, La Font d’En Carròs, Xeraco, Xeresa and Benirredrà are now virusfree, while case numbers have plunged drastically elsewhere in the district.