workers manifest and denounce lack of resources and collapse due to patient demand in the IGSS

Workers of the “Ceibal” General Accident Hospital of the Guatemalan Institute of Social Security (IGSS) in zone 4 of Mixco, They demonstrated this Wednesday, November 9, to report that the hospital has collapsed due to the large number of patients.

According to the protesters, there is a lack of staff and a nurse attends to more than 40 people, Added to this, they must cook for two hospitals, for another in zone 11.

They stated that they cannot provide quality service without sufficient staff and space; In addition, they do not have an elevator and must move patients through ramps, putting their lives and staff at risk.

They also requested a salary increase and a change in the administration of the health center, because according to the protesters, there are deficiencies and abuse of authority.

Jorge Hidalgo Calderón, General Secretary of the Union, reported that in many services there is a lack of personnel and the answer they are given is that Human Resources does not make the arrangements.

Given this situation, there is an excess of work derived from what happened due to the covid-19 pandemic.

He pointed out that the hospital is collapsed and according to him, the IGSS authorities are not acting.

“A change is urgently needed to improve the Institute, it is a millionaire institution and we do not know how the resources are being used,” he said.

He said that for four years they have not received a salary increase, the last one was Q200.

He added that due to the high demand for care, some patients have to be placed on stretchers and not in beds, but the Nursing staff objected and sent some patients to the peripheral area of ​​zone 11, where now they must bring them food and it is intended that staff will also attend.

“It is urgent to improve care at the IGSS, I hope that the authorities listen to the clamor of the workers,” he stressed.

They lack personnel in Nursing, in the kitchen, in the laboratory and they need more doctors.

He added that they expected the bedding area to be expanded, but it did not happen due to alleged negligence on the part of the authorities.

The General Accident Hospital “Ceibal” it has capacity for 350 beds, but it is collapsed, according to the protesters.

He indicated that the intensive care units are collapsed, so they enabled another area, but the patients are on stretchers.

He stressed that they have denounced the situation, because patients on stretchers do not have adequate care and could die.

“We can no longer, we no longer have where to locate patients,” said the nurse Matea

He added that they do not have an elevator and it affects the nurses’ health to transfer the sick.

Another of the protesters who identified herself as Diana also pointed out the lack of personnel and that they must use the ramp for transfers due to the lack of an elevator.

“We are working for two hospitals and the truth is that it is not fair, we need them to fix our elevator”, he said.

Marisol Hernández, from the Kitchen area, said that they “urge” staff because they are working for two hospitals.

Sergio Estupinian, deputy medical director of the Ceibales hospital, indicated that this care center is a national reference, for which they receive affiliated patients from all over Guatemala.

“There comes a time when the need for medical care will definitely exceed our limits”he indicated.

The hospital has a capacity for 363 beds, of which 343 are “effective” beds, which enter the daily process of work.

Regarding the demonstration, Estupinian indicated that the union unit that called it has the right to demonstrate, but it must be based mainly on the organic law of the IGSS, in the 1090 agreement that governs the rights and obligations of workers and the institution’s Code of Ethics.

“Definitely we do have an overflow of patients due to the demand we have in terms of care and generally these are treated in what we call stretchers, because they are transport beds, which are the ones used in any emergency”, explained the deputy director.

He said that the stretcher has to carry oxygen, place solutions and mobilize the person.

He added that each of the services has an occupational index that has exceeded their capacity.

They attend 250 to 300 patients daily in the Emergency, where the demand has increased due to motorcycle accidents.

He acknowledged that they lack staff “As usually happens in any health institution here in Guatemala.”

He affirmed that they have done the procedures so that people interested in working can be summoned.

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He recalled that the hospital building was built 25 years ago or more, time that is also reflected in some equipment as it happens anywhere.

Reported that the elevator has had failures, so they have decided to close it to prevent someone from being trapped. He assured that the process of acquiring the elevator is already under way.

The deputy director indicated that some patients enter the critical care unit, which is what they spend the most time in the hospital. Some spend 7-10 days for surgical procedures.

He added that decisions regarding salary increases are decisions at the managerial level and by the Board of Directors.

He said that there was a meeting with the IGSS authorities so that patients with antibiotic treatment could be taken to the modular hospital in zone 11.