PABLO R. ROCES Madrid

Madrid

Updated Thursday, January 18, 2024-7:33 p.m.

The group of heads of Service, heads of Section and heads of Unit of the Children's Hospital of the La Paz University Hospital have sent this Thursday a letter addressed to the president of the Community of Madrid, Isabel Díaz Ayuso, so that the regional Government

takes "measures "emergency" against the head of the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit

, Dr. Pedro de la Oliva, who has been reinstated to his position by court order.

In their writing, to which EL MUNDO has had access, the health professionals point out that their return to activity puts the adequate care of patients at "a significant risk" due to "the total absence of pediatric intensive care physicians" since only one of them those assigned to that unit continue working.

The rest have requested medical leave or have resigned from their contract after the reinstatement of the head of the unit, accused of workplace harassment against his subordinates.

"

This unsustainable situation, which has serious repercussions on the functioning of other Hospital Services, has persisted for several years

," continues the letter sent to the

popular leader,

to the entire Ministry of Health, to the Ombudsman, to Justice. Madrid and the Patient Ombudsman.

De la Oliva was dismissed in 2020 as head of Service by the HULP Management Directorate, with the support of the Technical Assistance Board (JTA), "as a result of the application of a conflict protocol."

This process involved

the opening of a disciplinary file by the General Directorate of Human Resources

of SERMAS, the initiation of legal cases and his subsequent provisional reinstatement in September 2023 at the head of the pediatric ICU.

On December 21, he was dismissed again for the same reasons since the staff after his admission was reduced to three doctors and finally it was the Administrative Litigation Court Number 24 that requested his reinstatement.

The situation has reached the point that there has been a

de facto

closure of that unit due to the lack of professionals, although the Ministry of Health affirms that

the center "has an ICU with many areas" and that "patient care 24 hours a day is guaranteed

. "

"This is a matter that is being prosecuted due to a labor dispute. The Community of Madrid is carrying out all legal actions at its disposal to resolve this conflict," add the same sources.

The professionals' brief, for their part, states that the situation is forcing the "

transfer of patients with transplants, multiple trauma and critical medical pathologies, to other Critical Care Units

", "generating an overload of care for these units", forcing "suspend surgical activities with the consequent immediate increase in the waiting list", referring patients to other hospitals, causing "a serious impact on transplant programs" and "limiting the teaching capacity of the Pediatric Service."

"Each of the Services of the Children's Hospital that maintains a daily relationship with the ICU is willing to provide, to whoever requests it,

abundant documentation that shows the serious deterioration of care

that has resulted from the crisis unleashed throughout the La Paz Children's Hospital, and first-line information on the problems that have arisen," the letter concludes.