March hospital opens new unit for alcoholics

THE Joan March hospital has opened a new Alcoholic Detoxification Unit (UDA) and has increased the number of beds and staff in order to offer patients a dedicated staff who have had specialist training in this area. The new UDA has 12 beds in six double rooms situated on the refurbished ground floor of the hospital. Up until now the unit only had seven beds in three rooms situated on the second floor of the hospital. The UDA patients come mainly from Drug Dependency Centres (CAD).
The new UDA will have its own area and a team of two doctors, one supervising nurse, five hospital nurses and five auxiliary nurses.
The turnover of patients in the unit makes it possible that the final number of people treated in 2006 could be around 240. With regard to this, the new UDA will allow another 140 people to be treated per year, which could mean a total of 380 patients being treated in 2007. The average number of people taken into the Alcoholic Detoxification Unit per month in 2000 was 11.8, while in the year 2005 it was 15.1 and in 2006 20.3. During the first eight months of 2005 a total of 162 people were taken into the unit, whereas this year it was 181.
A hospital spokesman said that 2004 was the most significant year for the unit's activities, when the greater demand for help led to an increase in the number of beds and the hiring of a second doctor for the unit.