The Ministry of Health will analyze “well” the sentence which condemns the Galician Health Service (Sergas) to compensate the partner of a man who died of a heart attack at the Lalín health center (Pontevedra) with 20,000 euros in September 2019, and “from there”, it will decide whether it is appropriate to undertake change in triage protocols.
Here is how the Minister of Health responded: Antonio Gomez Caamañoquestioned about this judgment rendered on October 9 by the Superior Court of Xustiza de Galicia (TSXG), which confirms that there was a “loss of opportunity” for the patient due to the fact that, upon his arrival at the health center of the morning, six hours before dying, an administrator did not inform the doctor of the reason for the request for care and referred him to him even though there was a discrepancy among the patients already mentioned. The man decided not to wait, he went home and returned to the health center in the afternoon, already with an appointment, but he died.
“We must carefully analyze the entire sentence, which I believe can be appealed,” said Thursday, in response to questions from the press, the head of Sanidade, who expressed his condolences for this death. “From what I have read so far,” explained Gómez Caamaño, this patient arrived “with a problem” at the health center and “he was offered a consultation,” but “he wanted to go home him”, that’s why he came back with an appointment. “in the afternoon”. In fact, the man “approached” and not in the elevator, as the Xunta claimed during the legal process.
“He did not present any symptoms suggesting that he was developing an ischemic process” and “even a doctor could have minimized the problem”, underlined the councilor, without knowing any more “details”. Regardless, to decide whether this might involve a change in triage protocols, you will have to “analyze the sentence” in depth, he added.
Regarding this case, Sergas’ sources regretted to Ep “the consequences of specific errors” that can occur in the field of health care and “assuming the responsibilities that are established on each occasion.” For its part, the Xunta declared that it “respects and adheres to this decision, because it cannot be otherwise” and works “permanently to improve the protection of the health of Galicians”.
