Doctors not qualified

  Dr Roman Jimenez Gil

--- many more: The private company running the health service in this area 22 are employing doctors as General Practitioners qhen they are not, paediatricians who are not,...and even after we tell them so, they won´t listen, even after several children died, they will not listen.... Puma 22 – Platform for Users of Medical Area 22 – has voiced its concerns about the qualifications of General Practitioners within the local area and employed by health management company Torrevieja Salud. Torrevieja Salud is the private company responsible for providing and managing healthcare provision for the medical area 22, which includes the medical centres at: Rojales, Doña Pepa, La Mata, Torrevieja, Orihuela Costa (Cabo Roig), San Miguel and Mil Palmeras.

Puma 22 President Doctor Roman Jimenez Gil claims that the majority of GPs based at local health centres “are not fully qualified and would not be allowed to work as GPs in the UK or other European countries”. He says these predominantly Russian and South American doctors “have only completed basic training at most”. Many of the doctors working in this area are alleged not continued in any specialisation training, probably due to the lure of paid for employment and the prohibitive cost of completing an additional qualifications. In Europe medical students complete a basic medical degree and then carry on to specialise in a chosen area such as general practitioner, paediatrics and so on. Doctors have to complete both basic training and a specialised competence qualifications before being legally employed.

Dr Gil believes that this lack of qualifications is putting local residents of all nationalities at risk and, he alleges, has led to several cases of misdiagnosis. In its battle to bring this situation to public attention and to have it officially addressed and rectified, Puma 22 has written to the Head of Primary Care at Torrevieja Salud and also to the Commissioner appointed to oversee the actions of this private body.  In the letters Puma 22 requested a list of all of the GPs working within the area’s health centres and their specific qualifications. Puma 22 has not received a response from either body, despite the passing of several months.

Roman Gil said: “This is simply unacceptable. We believe that only a few of the GPs currently working in the area are qualified. If this situation is not addressed someone will needlessly lose their life due to the lack of training and competence. Good doctors are leaving because they can see the incompetence around them in health centres and emergency departments.”

Formal investigation  

The campaign has now been taken up by Spanish national newspaper group La Gaceta, which, in addition to publishing several articles, is also conducting a thorough investigation into the issue. Some of the results of this ongoing probe have already been aired on national TV channel 68 and will also be sent to the Spanish government, World Health Organisation, British Embassy, EU and the UN.

As part of its investigation, La Gaceta has cited several case studies involving misdiagnoses. In one article La Garceta names and shames one specific doctor working at the Cabo Roig Health centre and details the official shortfall in this so called professional’s qualifications according to official records. This, claims La Gaceta, is the norm and not the exception.

One extract from a La Gaceta article reads: “The case of William Jordan Carr is of special interest as he suffered from an internal haemorrhage after taking a pill prescribed by a doctor working at the Cabo Roig Health Centre. He was attended by a lady doctor from Peru who is working in Spain without the proper qualifications. ‘Days after I was given other pills by the same doctor... and after taking them I felt I was dying. I went to Torrevieja Hospital and I was seen by Dr. I.M., from Ukrania, who told me to go home, without any more explanations.’ Mr Carr decided to attend a private Doctor as he now has no confidence in the public sector.”

Written by Mireille Toddington - CoastRider Monday, 25 April 2011 15:30