Family doctors see an average 30.61 patients per day

Number of National Health patients rises to over 90,000

Hospital. On average patients are admitted for 4.91 days

On average 63.94% of the Verge del Toro´s 119 beds were occupied last year so the 142 beds in the new hospital should be sufficient for the island´s needs

C.M.W..Maó

At the end of February the number of patients registered with the National Health Service in Menorca was over 90,000, an all-time record which indicates the pressure on the health system. The figure has increased considerably since 2001, with nearly 20,000 new health cards being issued, 5,000 during last year alone.

The average time a patient has to wait for an operation in Maó´s Verge del Toro Hospital is 62.28 days, a similar period to 2004. At the end of last year 911 patients were awaiting surgery, 46 of whom had waited more than 150 days. The head of IB-Salut in Menorca, Claudio Triay, commented that the average waiting time was acceptable and pointed out that priority was given to urgent cases.

The number of surgical operations has remained stable, at around 4,000 per year. On average, patients admitted to hospital for operations are there for 4.91 days. This is the lowest average length of stay in the Balearic Islands, a fact which Triay attributes to the efficiency of the hospital personnel. He added that 63.94% of the Verge del Toro´s 119 beds were occupied on average throughout the year, which means that the 142 beds which will be available in the new Doctor Mateu Orfila Hospital should be sufficient to meet the island´s needs.

All the island´s medical centres reported an increased number of appointments made with the family G.P., 20,855 in total, an increase of 7.87% on the previous year. According to IB-Salut´s figures, each doctor saw an average 30.61 patients daily; ranging from 26 per day in the Dalt Sant Joan Centre to 33.24 in Canal Salat. Each family doctor has around 2,000 patients on his list. Although Triay admits that the ideal would be in the region of 1,800 he points out that the average length of appointment is 7.3 minutes compared to 6 in Mallorca and 5 in Catalunya.