The ‘president’ of the Generalitat, Carlos Mazón, has stressed that the Consell has mobilized 130.5 million euros for different actions in health and social services for the areas affected by the damage that hit the province of Valencia on October 29. .
In this sense, he stressed that “one of the Consell’s priorities has been to restore health services in the affected areas as soon as possible.” “From the first moment, coverage of healthcare services was guaranteed from the health center facilities or through the extraordinary health points enabled,” he highlighted, as indicated by the Generalitat in a statement.
Thus, the head of the Consell has indicated that the 57 affected health centers “are already operational” and “will progressively resume all their ordinary activity.” To achieve this objective, 437 professionals have carried out rehabilitation tasks on damaged buildings and areas, for which 36 million euros have been allocated.
Likewise, 50 million euros have been allocated for the relocation and adaptation of potentially flood-prone centers and 20.5 million for the adaptation of strategic facilities currently in use. Also, five million euros have been allocated to technical assistance for improvements and redesign of emergency centers, as well as another five million for external supplies.
For those municipalities in which the health centers could not provide care, extraordinary health care points have been activated, one of which remains active in Beniparrell, which replaces the auxiliary office that is unusable, and another in Ribarroja as support for the area of the urbanizations. For this purpose, the Ministry of Health has allocated one million euros.
Mazón has indicated that the centers of Catarroja, Aldaia, Paiporta, Picanya and Alaquàs require “larger-scale” works that they estimate “will be completed during the first half of 2025.” Likewise, he has announced that, in the case of Catarroja, the situation before the disaster will be restored and the expansion works already planned will continue.
Patients in affected areas
“We launched a new monitoring and contact system for vulnerable chronic patients located in the affected areas, which allowed us to contact nearly 6,000 of whom around 2,850 alerts were detected. This made it possible to care for 477 patients who required some type of imminent medical or pharmaceutical care,” Mazón highlighted.
To provide service and care to those affected, 500,000 euros have been allocated for the extraordinary operation of health emergency vehicles, made up of 217 non-urgent transport ambulances, 28 SAMU, seven Advanced Life Support Nurses, 31 Basic Life Support, five unassisted transport ambulances and eight additional vehicles.
Likewise, 98.5 percent of the affected pharmacies are operational and after the floods, 511,000 complementary prescriptions have been issued to 152,000 patients to replace damaged medications.
In terms of mental health, 80 professionals have cared for more than 1,000 people in the affected areas and a specific center for psychological care for victims has been created in Feria Valencia, where 40 professionals have cared for 422 people.
The ‘president’ highlighted that for the Generalitat “it is important to support the victims, so those who need psychological attention are treated in different hospitals in the Valencian public network.” In this sense, four specific trauma care units have been created where people who require it are monitored.
He has also stressed the “need” to care for minors after the damage, which is why “20 psychologists are assigned to the most affected educational centers” who “work in coordination with the socio-educational teams to be able to detect possible emotional disorders among children and adolescents.” “.
Other actions are the launch of buses to transport health personnel and mobile consultations to care for patients with chronic respiratory pathologies. 200,000 euros have been allocated for both actions.
Similarly, 300,000 euros have been allocated for reinforcement teams for vaccination against flu and covid-19 in the affected areas and 30 million SMS with health information have been sent, with an investment of 1 million euros. Likewise, 400,000 euros have been allocated to the removal of food products not suitable for consumption.
Social services actions
Some of the infrastructure most damaged during the floods have been homes, which is why Mazón highlighted that “emergency contracts worth more than 9.6 million euros have been carried out to repair damaged public housing and social and health centres.” , as well as for the acquisition of basic products and restoration of supplies in residences, among others.
To solve this problem, he emphasized that “the direct relocation management office has been opened and a procedure for obtaining public housing has been activated with an evaluation team that, in coordination with municipal social services, carry out the process as quickly as possible.
Likewise, a Temporary Emergency Care Center (CATE) has been opened in Burjassot where there are currently 100 people housed, providing temporary accommodation, food and psychosocial assistance services for the displaced. “It is ensured that they have a safe environment and access to basic resources while conditions in their places of residence are stabilized,” he stated.
Likewise, Mazón has indicated that a temporary shelter has been set up in the old La Fe Hospital in València with space to accommodate 50 people. The 19 people who continue to need this service have been transferred to a new shelter located in Bétera.
The head of the Consell has highlighted that “76 families have agreed to relocate in public housing of the Generalitat of which the first 21 affected families are already located in the La Torre building for an initial period of six months, at no cost and in fully equipped homes. Likewise, he has indicated that the other 163 properties in the complex “will be progressively enabled.”
Mazón has stated that “the reconstruction and repair works of the eleven social and health infrastructures that suffered damage in Aldaia, Torrent, Benetússer, Carlet, Catarroja, Chiva and Alfafar have already begun.”
On the other hand, he highlighted that the Generalitat has approved a line of direct aid aimed at third sector entities worth one million euros, with a limit of 20,000 euros per entity for the repair of infrastructure and the replacement of equipment.
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