Isabel Pérez and José Bernal Address Press Conference
Isabel Pérez, a congresswoman and spokesperson for the PSOE in the Marbella City Council, and José Bernal, the party’s provincial organization secretary, held a press conference this morning. Pérez expressed her disappointment over the silence of Mayor Ángeles Muñoz and the PP government in Junta, which she blames for the significant increase in waiting lists in the health area dependent on the Costa del Sol Hospital.
Significant Increase in Waiting Lists
Pérez explained that both initial consultations and surgical interventions have seen a 12.16% increase in just six months. This equates to an additional 6,249 patients from June to December 2023, bringing the total to 57,716 patients. She criticized the local PP for their lack of response to the poor management by Moreno Bonilla.
Costa del Sol Hospital Overwhelmed
Pérez also highlighted that the Costa del Sol Hospital, once an international benchmark, is now overwhelmed. The waiting lists for people waiting over a year for a surgical intervention have doubled. She also noted a 40% increase for those waiting over two months for an external consultation and a 35% increase for those awaiting a diagnostic test.
Significant Increases in Certain Specialties
The largest increases in specialties have occurred in initial consultations for medical oncology, with a 400% increase, general surgery, with a 108.05% increase, and ophthalmology, with a 101.60% increase. Regarding surgical interventions, the most significant increases at the Costa del Sol Hospital are peripheral nerve decompression procedures, with a 35.53% increase in six months.
Call for Action
Pérez called for action, criticizing the PP of Marbella and the mayor for covering up for Moreno Bonilla. She pointed out that it is unacceptable that there are over a million people on the waiting list in Andalusia and 251,829 in Malaga, an increase of 12,372 in six months, or a 5.16% increase.
Need to Restore Dignity to the Hospital
Pérez urged the party members to restore dignity to the hospital and its health area, as the staff is overloaded while more money is being directed to private healthcare, which she believes is not the solution.
Central Government’s Contribution
On his part, Bernal claimed that the only entity doing something good for public health in Marbella is the central government, which has allocated 70 million euros for the expansion of the Costa del Sol Hospital. He criticized Ángeles Muñoz for halting the works and Moreno Bonilla for slowly carrying them out with funds not from his management.
Concerns Over Hospital’s Future
Bernal warned that they cannot continue to allow the hospital to run out of beds or specialties, have fewer healthcare professionals than a year ago, or significantly fewer than five years ago when the PP was not in power. He also pointed out that the increase in waiting lists for surgical interventions outside the warranty periods has even led to anesthesia tests and analytics having to be repeated up to three times due to the delay, something that has never happened at the Costa del Sol.
Public Funds for Public Entities
Bernal concluded by stating that public money should go to public entities, not to increase agreements with private entities. He believes that the increase in waiting lists is a clear sign of the decline that Moreno Bonilla and Ángeles Muñoz want for public health.
