The Minister of Health, Fátima Matute, has said that care for children is assured despite the closure of the pediatric ICU in La Paz, and that transplants will not be suspended, since professionals are expected to travel to other hospitals. to do them, if necessary.
This was stated by the counselor in the plenary session of the Madrid Assembly in response to a question from the representative of Más Madrid, Marta Carmona, about the operational situation of the UCIP of La Paz, whose activity has been paralyzed since mid-January due to a Job issue.
According to Carmona, the closure of the PICU means that transplants cannot be performed under safe conditions in the only hospital in Spain that performs all types of child transplants, that of the thirty pediatric surgeries performed every day none can be complex, and that In general, all processes that entail risk have to be deferred, so that, in cardiology, three surgeries and three catheterizations are being stopped each week.
For its part, Health assures that the scheduled activity has not been suspended thanks to the reinforcement of the Post-Surgical Resuscitation Unit and the collaboration of the Adult ICU.
Matute has also stated that his team is working “from minute one” with professionals, with the hospital management and with legal advice to resolve “as soon as possible” the labor problem that is “judicialized.”
The Más Madrid deputy has maintained that the closure of the ICU of the La Paz Maternal and Child Hospital is “the story of the double failure of the Ministry when it comes to protecting professionals and when it comes to finding a dignified solution for the patients.” and for their families.”
All staff doctors assigned to the service, with the sole exception of their boss and one physician, have taken medical leave or have resigned from their contracts after the reinstatement of the head of service by court order.
“The PICU in La Paz had a team of intensivists of exceptional professional and human quality, people who have given their all to save the most fragile lives and who are now defeated by a heartless boss and a Ministry that has left them sold” , stated the Más Madrid deputy.
Carmona told the counselor that “the PICU in La Paz was one of the best in Spain and is now closed due to its incompetence.”
For the counselor, “you should not play with health to do politics. Do politics to improve health,” asked Matute, who accused the Ministry of Health of “dictating solutions that are outside the legal framework.”
He has insisted that the Ministry is collaborating with health workers to resolve this situation “as soon as possible” within the framework of the Constitution.
This problem began in 2020, following the complaint of six doctors for humiliating treatment and workplace harassment by the head of service.
It led to a disciplinary file and a suspension of duties due to serious misconduct, which was provisionally suspended by the Superior Court of Justice of Madrid.
Last September, the Contentious-Administrative Court number 24 ordered his reinstatement to service. Now, the Community of Madrid is awaiting the resolution of an appeal before the TSJM against that sentence, which will be resolved in the coming days.
