18:52 • 06 Feb. 2021
Doctors with private practice in Almería are concerned about the order of vaccination against the coronavirus set by the administration, knowing that has again given priority to public medicine over private.
“There is a malaise among private doctors because many of them have not yet been vaccinated and do not understand the criteria usedwhen we thought that all doctors would be immunized very soon, ”said Francisco José Martínez Amo, president of the College of Physicians of Almería.
Martínez Amo has not yet been vaccinated and keeps his otolaryngology practice closed in the capitalAlthough, as with many professionals, he would be willing to reopen it when the vaccine is administered “and the immune response verified in subsequent analyzes,” he says.
“In recent weeks I have been called by doctors, especially the elderly, who have not been vaccinated either have decided to close their investigation private because of the pandemic situation in Almería ”, he adds.
For Martínez Amo, in addition to the lack of vaccines across Spain, that is the core problem “The administration continues to view private medicine as complementary to public medicine, rather than complementary, and that’s what they are”he says flatly.
Therefore, “he calls on the government to change its position in this regard.” A perspective that initially led him to prioritize the vaccination of private medicine over public medicine and that has led to a large number of private doctors in Almería and throughout Spain continuing to this day without being vaccinated against covid and that in many cases they cannot reopen their consultations.
Per protocol The protocols that established the sequence of vaccination should be taken into account have been agreed between the Ministry of Health and the Autonomous Communities.
Despite these delays, the President of the College of Physicians assures that “in Almería the vaccination of health workers is developing reasonably well “. “The college is in permanent contact with the health delegation and we have already provided them with a list of all private doctors in the county to proceed with their vaccinations,” he says.
Martínez emphasizes the work of the Provincial Deputy of Health, Juan de la Cruz Belmonte, and those responsible for this vaccination work, “Especially from Dr. Antonio Nievas, who has been in charge of coordinating vaccinations of the doctors and who have already made it possible for all professionals at the two private hospitals in the capital to be vaccinated against the corona virus.
Still, the College continues to miss a rapid vaccination of the rest of the private doctors, as “they are also on the front line” especially in specialties where very direct contact between doctor and patient is required, as is the case with dentists or otorrinos.
The president of the Almeria doctors confirms that he is he does not personally complain that he has not been vaccinated, although it states that among professionals, as can happen with the general public, “Discouragement spreads when there is news of politicians or people who have been vaccinated without their correspondence based on the same protocols that private health workers do not consider first-line workers ”.
In short, he believes that vaccinations are taking place something similar to what happened when the masks were missing and the criteria for their use changed repeatedly, and as happens with other issues, because the covid has been attacking with virulence on all fronts, attacks that governments have not been adequately prepared to face.
Finally, Francisco Martínez Amo would like to appreciate the tireless work of health workers in this crisis, “They keep giving calluses despite all the difficulties they have encountered”. “The pandemic, this rare virus, has already caused three wars and three post-war wars, and has changed everything, including the relationship between doctor and patient,” he concludes.