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In recent days, several health centers in Santa Cruz have suffered serious problems due to deteriorating infrastructure or operational failures. The task of caring for the sick is made more difficult when medical staff also have to deal with falling ceilings, stuck elevators, unusable bathrooms and a lack of housekeeping services.
At the El Buen Samaritano center, a false ceiling collapsed after a wiring company apparently failed to properly replace a panel. Although this was a failure on the part of the service provider, the hospital director noted that humidity had caused clear problems with the infrastructure.
Last year, a similar problem occurred at the 25 de Diciembre health center in Plan Tres Mil, where the roof collapsed. In this context, these buildings should be thoroughly inspected to identify the sectors that pose a risk to patients and staff.
It’s not just infrastructure that’s failing. At the same centre, cleaning services have been suspended as staff have not been paid since April. This has affected the washing of staff and patients’ clothing, as well as the cleaning of various hospital environments such as the delivery room. Some pregnant women have to be cared for in these unhygienic conditions, while others have been referred to other clinics for care.
In addition to cleanliness and sanitation issues, hospital bathrooms often have signs stating “out of service” or “bathroom in poor condition,” which can be an inconvenience even in inpatient areas.
At another medical center in the capital, a patient being transferred on a stretcher was trapped in an elevator for several minutes, which could have resulted in death if a medical emergency had occurred. The situation also reflected shortcomings in maintenance, as elevators require regular inspections by professional companies.
The head of the health infrastructure maintenance department of the Santa Cruz mayor’s office ensures that 63 health centers and five municipal hospitals are serviced throughout the year by companies with preventive and corrective maintenance contracts. This work includes repairing leaks, replacing roofs, bed sheets, light bulbs, etc.
Clearly, these outsourced services are not adequate to service a large portion of the hospital infrastructure. Complaints from the directors of these centers are recurring. Some of the buildings are many years old and their infrastructure is likely to require replacement work rather than simple corrective maintenance.
The Mayor’s Office has a responsibility to monitor and direct the work of these outsourced companies. If the problem is that the work cannot be done properly due to lack of compensation, then something as important as caring for the health of the people will not be prioritized. The City of Santa Cruz cannot allow patients’ lives to be put at risk due to deteriorating infrastructure or any negligence by hospitals in providing basic services.
Health is said to be a top issue in Santa Cruz and other parts of the country, but the truth is that there is a lot to be desired, both in terms of medical facilities and in the provision of complementary services.
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