Trauma unit at Algeciras hospital to be closed over holidays

Unions criticize the 'imposition'
Aimed at avoiding overtime and holiday pay

Punta de Europa Hospital

ALGECIRAS -- The Andalucía Health Service (SAS, Servicio Andaluz de Salud) has decided yet again to close the Trauma Unit at the Punta de Europa Hospital over the holidays -- from December 20 to January 9 -- ostensibly because there is usually little activity during this period. On enquiry, the district authorities (Área de Gestión Sanitaria del Campo de Gibraltar) pointed out that other units will be reinforced and beds will be reserved for use if necessary.

The CSIF union raised the alarm over the temporary closure, declaring that it rejected the measure that will lose 27 of the available beds. It pointed out that patients and staff will be transferred to the Surgery Department. This was rejected out of hand two years ago as the result of adverse reports from the Preventative Medicine that pointed out the 'potential risks' possible when two separate services were brought together on the same floor. Now, says the union, the decision is 'imposed' on them.

Provincial crime headed by La Línea

(bibliotecadeinvestigaciones)

LA LÍNEA (Cádiz) -- The crime rate has risen in the border town from 2,341 reported incidents until September 2013 to 2,456 for the same period this year, a 4.9% increase. Algeciras has reduced its rate by 4.7%. Crime rates in the Campo de Gibraltar are varied. La Línea is prone to drug offences, for instance, while Castellar and Jimena account mostly for burglary. As to homicide, Algeciras registered none, compared to the two events in 2013. La Línea had one murder reported, the same as the same period last year. Statistics for the whole province of Cádiz were down by 2.1%, from 43,493 to 42,594, the principal events being 'robbery with violence and intimidation', which went down by 13.8%. In total, crime was reduced in the province by 6.9% according to Carmen Crespo, government delegate in Andalucía.

The possibility of Ebola in Algeciras and Tarifa

An immigration centre in the Campo
de Gibraltar (AFP)

(Date: Wednesday, Oct 08) ALGECIRAS – Last night, Wednesday, there were rumours flying about that there were several cases under suspicion of immigrants from Sub-Saharan Africa carrying the feared Ebola virus. A survey among the various places the immigrants that come over on flimsy boats are given refuge in Algeciras and Tarifa, as well as local and national media, confirmed that there had been some suspicion but no confirmed cases. It isn’t surprising that suspicion would arise in the two towns, where these centres are overwhelmed at this time of year – summer is the preferred time of year to risk your life crossing the straits in what often amounts to nothing more than