The Mayor of Manilva, Mario Jiménez, reported a death in the municipality yesterday at the rally calling for the Estepona hospital to be fully operational: «It took an hour for the ambulance to arrive and he died of a heart attack»
The mayor thus linked the resident’s death to the lack of assistance and demanded the full opening of Estepona Hospital: «In this task, people’s lives are at stake».
The public rally held this Thursday, 30 October, at 19:00 outside Estepona Town Hall to demand the 100% opening of Estepona Hospital centred on a dramatic case set out by the mayor of Manilva, Mario Jiménez, who attended the demonstration to denounce the fatal consequences of the poor healthcare provision suffered by residents of the western Costa del Sol, and especially in Manilva.
Mayor Jiménez interrupted his speech to the crowd to recount a recent incident in his municipality: «We have just buried a 55-year-old man who waited an hour for the ambulance to arrive and died of a heart attack because he did not receive the care he should have had. So that is the main thing: people’s lives, and there we cannot hesitate, and it is all connected, so let’s push this forward.»
Manilva: 23 years paying for an emergency service while the Junta is «dismantling»
The Manilva mayor detailed the financial effort the Town Hall makes to make up for shortcomings that the regional health service is responsible for covering, an effort that is insufficient given the inaction of the Junta de Andalucía.
«The Town Hall, in Manilva’s case, has been paying for a municipal emergency service in the afternoons for 23 years. And the latest is that we have been told not to transfer emergency cases arising in Manilva. All the Junta has to do is comply with the agreement it signed with the mayor of Estepona. No more, no less; nothing else can be asked.»
Jiménez also reiterated his criticism of the current state of Estepona Hospital, built with a large investment by Estepona Town Hall but underused by the regional administration: «Not only are they not equipping the hospital, they are dismantling it».
The mayor concluded his speech by thanking all those affected for their support: «Total support as an affected party, Manilva Town Hall affected like all of you, the total support of Manilva Town Hall to keep fighting and struggling, because it is not a privilege, it is a right», concluded Jiménez.
Total support for the Platform
Manilva Town Hall, which has been actively supporting the Plataforma por la Apertura Íntegra del Hospital de Estepona (PAIH), reiterates its commitment to keep fighting for decent healthcare. As already announced by the health councillor, Juan Carlos Morejón, the Town Hall is prepared to take the legal measures necessary to guarantee healthcare provision if the situation is not reversed.
The massive rally reflects public weariness with a hospital that, four years after opening, is still a «ghost hospital», as described by the PAIH spokesperson, Lali Montero.
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