Half way there at the Joan March hospital

HALF the planned refurbishment of the Joan March Hospital in Bunyola has been completed this year at a cost of 1.7 million euros, health minister Aina Castillo announced after a visit to the new installations yesterday. The day centre, new rehabilitation and physiotherapy installations, outpatients department and additional rooms are now in use.
Due to open shortly is a special gym for patients in quarantine, which is something new in hospitals Castillo said.
The minister said that ten per cent of the patients at the Joan March hospital have to be quarantined, and half of these patients need rehabilitation.
The refurbishment of the first floor has cost more than 696'000 euros, and includes an outpatients clinic, a new consulting area with six surgeries, a new admissions area and lounge, as well as offices for the social workers. The new rehabilitation area is also on this floor. Rooms on the first floor have been adapted to the needs of patients, many of whom have reduced mobility and are confined to wheelchairs.
Fourteen rooms have been adapted in all (ten with two beds and four indivdual).
The 15 rooms on the second floor (25 beds) were refurbished last year.
The minister said that the intercom system between the nurses' room and patients' rooms has been improved, air conditioning and heating installed and windows changed to provide better insulation. Castillo was accompanied by the hospital's director, Matias Poblador, and the manager of GESMA, Rafael Romero.
The Joan March hospital is part of the Balearic health services network of hospitals which also includes Son Dureta and Son Llatzer in Palma.