"It is unacceptable that in the second phase of the pandemic there are so many infections and deaths"
- Associations of users of nursing homes and the movement of pensioners have called to participate in the demonstrations convened this Saturday in the four capitals of Hego Euskal Herria.
The associations of users of nursing homes - Patrocinios of Álava and Bizkaia, Relatives of Gipuzkoa, Irauli Zaintza and family members of users of Alavese residences and day centres -, along with the Movement of Pensioners of the Basque Country, have warned of the situation that "the most vulnerable elderly people" live, especially the people of the day.
This Saturday morning a public hearing was held in Vitoria-Gasteiz, Bilbao, Donostia-San Sebastián and Pamplona/Iruña to present the demonstrations called. In this sense, they have pointed out that the coronavirus prevention protocols are not being complied with in nursing homes and services for the care of the elderly. "It is unacceptable that in the second phase of the pandemic so many infections and deaths occur. There are not enough preventative measures for workers and users."
In addition, they have denounced that Osakidetza "has put aside" health care for the elderly in private and subsidised residences in the Basque Country. "This makes private healthcare possible in residences and in most cases precarious. Thus, the health of residents is deteriorating severely," they stressed in a press conference.
Appeal to the institutions
User and pensioner associations in nursing homes have also referred to the role of public administrations, such as the Basque Government and parliamentarians. In the opinion of family members, policymakers should explain what is happening in homes, that is, "why the elderly and their caregivers have to suffer the consequences of lack of foresight and mismanagement". In this regard, they regretted that "after the death of 700 bosses", the institutions have not made "self-criticism" in this matter.
Associations of family members and pensioners find it essential to involve the social partners in the sector in order to improve the current situation. "We want to participate in the evaluation of the measures and protocols that have been put in place to deal with the pandemic, as well as in the management of visits and departures," they said. They have also called for the need to change the care model for the elderly, as they consider that the current model is based on "commercial criteria that only seek economic profitability".
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