3 hospitals in Mallorca cutting back on operations

Son Llàtzer Hospital, Inca Hospital and Son Espases Hospital say the number of patients being hospitalised with coronavirus has forced a rethink.

"From now on, surgical activity will be reduced to oncology and preferential surgeries that cannot be delayed,” said the Son Espases Hospital Crisis Committee. “Appointments for consultations with doctors are also being reviewed to decide whether they really need to be carried out in person in order to reduce the number of people attending the hospital.”

The Crisis Committee says it is also deeply concerned about the fact that there just aren’t enough staff.

"Son Espases can take on the patients it has now and more, but what is worrying is the lack of staff,” they said. "This situation is not due to a limitation in hiring it’s because of the lack of professionals available for hire.

IB-Salut says it has been forced to reduce surgical procedures at Inca Hospital and Son Llàtzer Hospital to make room for Covid-19 patients.

“The suspension of scheduled surgical activity by hospitals is within the contingency plan designed for each hospital at the onset of the coronavirus pandemic, with the goal of changing the functionality of the beds in the post-surgical resuscitation areas,” said IB-Salut. “This expansion will involve the restructuring of the resuscitation areas, post-anesthetic recovery units and major outpatient surgery or CMA which will be used to house patients who are critically ill with Covid-19.

IB-Salut says that if necessary there are other locations that can be adapted for use.

“The public hospital network will have access to Hospital San Juan de Dios, Hospital de la Cruz Roja, Hospital de Levante, Grupo Quirón, Grupo Asistencial Juaneda, Hospital de Muro, the Policlínica Nuestra Señora de Rosario in Ibiza and the Clínica Juaneda in Minorca.”